For thousands of years, kites have allowed human beings to possess the sky. Unable to fly but haunted by the dreams of Icarus, people throughout the world have used their imagination to design these fragile but brilliant objects. Whether they resemble fish, dragons, birds, mythical animals or just bits of colored paper, kites have given wings to the people that hold their strings, giving them a sensation of freedom. Over the course of his many trips, Hans Silvester photographed the flight of these great imaginary birds. From China to Bolivia, Italy to Sri Lanka, each of his images catches the beauty and grace of these objects, which belong to the world of children and adults alike.

Born in Germany in 1938, Hans Silvester began taking photographs at the age of twelve. A dedicated defender of nature, he published the international best-seller Cats in the Sun. His most recent assignments took him to Rajasthan, India, and Ethiopia. The latter led to the publication of his latest book Ethiopia: People of the Omo Valley (Abrams, 2006).

Imprint: Abrams
Distributor: Hachette
Publication Date: 06-01-2008
Pages: 172
Measurements: 10.50in X 7.67in X 0.75in X 2.03lb