an invisible hand is Stephen Roucher's first artist's book, from his street photographs made between 2012 and 2022.

In an era where modern technology offers precise navigation and ubiquitous 'street-view' convenience, locations are catalogued and made explicit through GPS coordinates and addresses. Commerce and progress drive these technologies, shaping our environment and perceptions of it.

Roucher invites us to consider a machine-driven perspective from another era with his black-and-white photographs made using a view camera, a cutting-edge technology of the 19th century that radically reshaped our perceptions of the world. He captures the urban landscape not with the precision of contemporary tools but with an eye for the timeless and the unseen. The photographs delve into the nuances of public spaces, the rejuvenation of forgotten corners, and the artifacts of once-daily technologies now obsolete. Roucher juxtaposes the meticulously catalogued present with a more ambiguous, reflective view. The book brings to life locations vaguely referenced, ideas repurposed, and the subtle transformations of environments in constant flux. These photographs serve as a testament to the invisible hand guiding our perceptions and interactions with the world.