The Photographers Playbook, published by Aperture and edited by Jason Fulford and Gregory Halpern has just arrived on the doormat and I thought it worth a post.
306 assignments from well respected photographic educators, professionals and artists plus myself. The assignments vary from reflective exercises to shopping lists, technical amendments and more traditional photographic tasks. There is much in here and certainly not just for the student – I really hope this book and it’s assignments are used widely and shared often, perhaps there needs to be a space to share reflections and outcomes?
Next Saturday (14th), as part of the Straybooks festival organised by Akina books, I will be heading in to London to host a wee event with Emilie Hallard of the Photobook Club Paris. The event will start at 4pm and will be a relaxed affair in which we try to better understand the state of photobook culture by picking examples for discussion direct from the exhibition (though you can feel free to bring your own books too).
The Box of Dummies which was formed last year during the ‘Le Photobook Fest’ dummy award, is now ready to ship! The box features 12 awesome dummy photobooks which I hope will make their way to a whole bunch of different events around the world.
While I have already received some locations for stops, it would be great to have all interest expressed here so that the most efficient route for the books can be worked out. As before the only cost involved is in paying for the postage from the book’s previous destination. If you are interested – pop me an email matt@photobookclub.org.
I have been thinking a lot lately about the readership of photobooks which is, in most cases, limited. Limited in quantity, breadth and diversity*. This is little concern for self referential and egotistical works but what about the bookworks that contain questions, answers and thoughts that a wider readership could benefit from.
One such project is ‘Understanding Stanley, Looking Through Autism‘ by Rosie Barnes, a “beautiful new photo book that gives a unique and powerful visual insight into life on the autism spectrum.” In the Kickstarter video featured below, Rosie mentions that she ideally wants this book to be seen by the person standing next to Stanley at a bus shelter who through reading the book may better understand and be more inclined to find out more about autism – what a powerful idea. The book is affordable, a digital edition would make it more so, perhaps this is a photobook that will really break the photobook bubble, find it’s way into school’s curriculums even?
*Lately newspaper works have sought to fill this need but they are few and far between in relation to good photobooks and could be said to ignore people under 20/25 for whom the medium is un-relateable and cumbersome.
Now it’s just after harvest time, my favorite time of year. The fields are almost cleared and I’m barefoot on my porch with a beer in my hand. I can see for miles.
For over a year now I have been working with Nathan to bring this fantastic project into corporeal existence and with the aid of Akina Factory who who created the book concept and design, the result is beautiful.
One of the toughest elements of editing this work is something Nathan has pointed out in a recent interview with Darwin Magazine – how the projects needed to move away from cliched depictions of the rural midwest but at the same time not disown culture and environment. While the geographical location rooted in the midwest, this project for me has always been about home, about home as a constant for good and bad. For this reason I hope it appeals to many.
Congratulations to Lloyd Spencer who was the lucky winner of the signed Martin Parr and Gerry badger tome ‘The Photobook: A History Vol III‘. Lloyd is a photographer based in leeds, UK and for those with a curious mind, he selected André Kertész’ ‘Hungarian Memories’ as a book never to be sold.
Approximately 300 people entered the prize draw with a random integer created to determine the winner. Huge thanks to Phaidon for providing the signed book which is available to purchase here.
If you want to skip my waffle and head straight to the competition, scroll to below the book cover!
The list has troubled me, and many others for some time. My initial reaction to the first two Parr/Badger books were to shun them; they made access to many influential photobooks incredibly difficult. I have had the same knee-jerk response to the end of year lists we are all familiar with yet I still chose to produce a version myself. Some of my pain from those early books has subsided with a good number of works being reprinted and available for very reasonable prices yet there still remains an uneasiness with the effect these lists can have on the market. This is inevitable and is the same in many industries – restaurants have the Michelin guide, literature has the Pulitzer and cinema has the Oscars (the latter two examples dealing mostly however with reproducible content online the finite resources of a restaurant or editioned photobook), all we must do is take it with a pinch of salt.
The Oscars might encourage us to view a film but rarely will we be persuaded only by an award with no initial desire to engage with the work. Likewise with the new Parr/Badger book those of us who fall outside the die-hard monetary collector or prospector spectrum can see it as a personal reference, an individualistic guide and ultimately a perspective. There is no doubt however that this is an important book for the photobook community at large – for some it will be confirmation of choices, for artists it might be recognition of work produced and for many others it will act as a well produced and coherent guide through some fantastic photobooks produced right up until 2013.
Just fill out the form below and a random name will be selected on 28th March (Deadline for responses 12 noon GMT on 28th) – this individual will be contacted for a postal address and then the book will head on to you!
An update from Anita Totha of the Photobook Club Auckland of the Box of Books visit to New Zealand…
The Photobook Club’s “Box of Books arrived in Auckland from Toowoomba AUS in late February. Photobook Club Auckland held its meeting in conjunction with the Tangent photo collective and brought together 20 photo book lovers. We thoroughly went through the box and all of its mementos and zines included from other clubs around the world. A crowd favorite photo book was Mrs Merryman’s Collection by Anne Sophie Merryman (Mack Books). We shared some other new titles too and had some great overall conversation around photo books and publishing in NZ. The box will be off soon to our friends in Victoria, Canada…
There are some fantastic photobook collections the world over – collections that focus on indie or handmade books, collections that are driven by rarity and monetary value, collections based on location and many based on specific events or happenings. The Photobook Club has never been and never had a collection, occasionally kind folks have sent books through to me and I have sought wherever possible to take them with me to Photobook Club events and talks but no more.
Paul Gaffney – We Make the Path by Walking
Now, I find more and more I have been asked to bring collections of books to events, Universities and so on – I respond by bringing my own collection but it is a young and sparse collection lacking curation and coherence. At the same time I have been thinking a great deal recently about a thematic collection, a collection that, while not seeking to be exhaustive, does seek to provide both broad and deep reading. A collection that can be visited in my home, a collection that will be viewable online and a collection that can travel in whole, or in parts, to different locations.
Lucas Foglia – A Natural Order
I figured such a theme would need to be narrow enough that it could near a completion of sorts but in reality this will never happen. I have chosen instead to openly begin a collection with a broad headline, which can then be shaped both by works submitted and interest in it’s contents. The theme chosen I believe speaks not only about photography and it’s history but also relates to the indie photobook movement, the interest in the generative artefact and a quest for a less hectic way of life.
The Natural Collection – Photobooks, zines and papers that explore our relationship with nature and the natural landscape.
As mentioned above, this is broad, but will be shaped in time. As a set of books to offer a well known guide, I would consider the likes of John Gossage’s ‘The Pond‘, Lucas Foglia’s ‘A Natural Order‘, Ricardo Cases ‘Palomo al Aire‘, Ron Jude’s ‘Lick Creek line‘ and Oscar Tuazon’s ‘Leave me be‘.
The call
I would be grateful to anyone, established or otherwise (incl publishers) who would be willing to send works through to the collection, these works will be featured on the Photobook Club website, will be taken to various book club events and will be open to anyone willing to pop by for a cupa! The condition of the works is not of paramount importance so any misprints at publishing would be welcomed with open arms!
The Natural Collection
The Photobook Club
10 Granby Avenue
Harpenden
Hertfordshire
AL5 5QR
ENGLAND
The Photographers Playbook, published by Aperture and edited by Jason Fulford and Gregory Halpern has just arrived on the doormat and I thought it worth a post.
