Those of you who reside near Madeira are in for a treat as the Photobook Club Madeira has just been established. You can find out more about the club and it’s events on the Facebook page here.
In other news, there is interest in establishing a club in the Washington D.C/Baltimore area. Anyone who is in this area and fancies getting together with some good books, good folks and the like, please leave a comment below or in Facebook.
The box of books has been spending time in Tokyo, Canberra and Melbourne recently, the 13th, 14th and 15th stops on it’s world tour. If you haven’t yet gotten to the box, there might still be time – check out the route here or email to see if the box can detour to you.
Big thanks to Sean Davey, organizer of the Photobook Club in Canberra who has this report on the event and has also sent images…
On the 24th of November 2013, we at the Canberra Photobook Club in Australia took our turn in receiving the Photobook Club’s Box of Books at the Huw Davies Gallery at PhotoAccess. We usually only have small gatherings here in Canberra and this meeting was no exception, with an intimate group of five photobook lovers coming together to do some photography reading and to share ideas and reactions about the books.
As well as the Box of Books, the meeting hosted a few books that I brought back from a recent trip to Paris, including Minutes to Midnight and Christmas Tree Bucket by Trent Parke, Americolor by Dennis Church, Hot Days In Okinawa by Mao Ishikawa and Mandy & Eva by Willeke Duijvekam.
It was a real treat to open the box, not only for the books inside, but for the engaging material and hand written notes that accompanied them from other Photobook Club members who had already received the Box of Books. These tactile notes and fragments from other countries really held our attention and before we even go to the books, we read and passed around the notebook and included cards and photos.
It is always interesting to compare photo books when read in the company of others to when they are read alone in private, as one is compelled to communicate immediate feelings and thoughts about material that has only just been ingested, without the time for proper digestion. Like any appreciation, whether critical or acclaimed, time is of the essence when looking at, and absorbing visual art and communication. With two hours set aside for the meeting, it was always going to be rushed trying to read the books, let alone get a grasp of them all, as well as to have conversations about them.
Of the books that were included in the Box of Books,the one that received most attention and generated the most discussion was Interrogations by Donald Webber. The book is bleak, which ever way you look at it, from the harsh, night time landscapes to the frightening and severe images of people in police cells being threatened and interrogated. Along with the images, the group broadly agreed that the text presented in this book adds to the feeling of distress and hopelessness that Webber shows. At the end of the book, I for one felt spent at the experience of going through it, and then I imagined what life is like for the people who get caught up in such a system of threats and violence, all set amongst the unforgivable winter landscape of Russia and the Ukraine.
When our meeting ended, we had indeed discussed most of the books in the box as well as talked about the book making process and some of our own projects. Before we sealed the box, we were all delighted to sign the notebook and include a few cards and momentos from Canberra for the Photobook Clubs that were to receive the box after us.
Thank you to Matt Johnston and the publishers and artists who donated books for this project. We are a comparatively small club here in Canberra, but we are very happy to be part of the wider photobook club community.
Sean Davey
Thanks to Stephanie Richter of the Monash Gallery of Art for holding the latest meetup in Australia, she will be writing a roundup of their activities soon but in the meantime…
The Box of Books was so great, there were about 12 of us and they all had a great time chatting about the different styles and bindings and most of all the ideas and narratives. I think the one I found most intriguing was Mrs. Merryman’s Collection by Anne Sophie Merryman.
Lots of debate about the truth behind the story and images, whether the fronts and backs correspond etc… wonderful.
– Stephanie Richter
A few images from the Photobook Club Campo de Gibraltar via it’s organizer, Angel Luis Duarte Sastre…
News from the Photobook Club Belast and Campo de Gibraltar first:
BELFAST PHOTOBOOK CLUB
Wednesday 11th December (nb: change of date – originally listed as 12th)
Hosted by Belfast School of Art Photography Artists in Residence Jan McCullough & Lewis Rankin at Belfast Exposed
Returning to our regular format, this month Jan McCullough and Lewis Rankin will be presenting a selection of photobooks from their personal collections. Both avid collectors, we are excited to see what surprises they have in store! There will be a festive twist for our last event of the year, with mince pies and mulled wine for all attendees.
PHOTOBOOK CLUB CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR
This Friday 29th November
We are going to run the 2nd Session of The Photobook Club Campo de Gibraltar, next Friday 11/29, at 19:00 pm, in The Public Library of La Línea de la Concepción. Attached you can find a little diptych with the announcement, and punctual info at our Facebook fan-page.
– Angel L. Duarte Sastre
I did not talk about books in the recent Paris review, and these few books are not limited to those I found in Paris but just a few recent highlights (more to come as I work through a huge stack of books on the desk).
Kadir Van Lohuizon’s ‘Via Pan Am’
Paradox/Y doc
I plan to write more, much more, on this book – one that is, for me the most important book of 2013, perhaps of the last 3/4 years. This publication is not only a triumph in design and content but also raises (and in some cases answers) some big questions that surround the photobook in the digital age. This book proves the unique power of printed work and does not attempt or need to justify it’s physical manifestation in fetishistic design or production. More soon.
Douglas Stockdale’s ‘Pine Lake’
Self published
Memory seems to be a focus for photographers in the 2010’s, so too is the creation of super-limited books with various pieces of ephemera or memorabilia. Whenever I come across either of these, I am keen to separate the genuine from the imitation, the art from the gimmick. Stockdale’s ‘Pine Lake’ falls easily within the bounds of the former in both cases.
In Stockdale’s own words this is ‘a semi-fictional story about a multi-generational American rite of summer.’ I wouldn’t argue with this but would posit that for the vast majority of readers this will not speak solely of America, nor of Summer, but instead ask us to recall, regret and reflect on our various life experiences/events and memories thereof. It is surprising that this book can create such strong reactions as it does with only a handful of images and some clever editing and wonderful surprises and is a testament to the author’s clear vision and awareness.
Ariana Sanesi’s ‘Dispersal’
Self Published dummy
In some ways, ‘Dispersal’ takes on a similar form to Pine Lake but beyond the surface their are few similarities. This book is so many things all at once and I am finding it hard to write about it at all. Fortunately, their are many images and a video via the link above so have a look at your own leisure at these beautiful images rooted in nature and the hunt. Comparisons to Lick Creek Line are perhaps inevitable but where ‘line’ dictates our journey (albeit a loose one), ‘Dispersal’ presents us various avenues and narratives to wander freely.
It is not enough anymore to review Paris Photo. With the addition of Offprint, and this year – Le PhotobookFest, a complete review of the city is needed. I am not the person to provide this complete and unbiased view of Paris 2013, but still I shall try with a quick reflection on the different events and some lessons learned in the 4 days I spent in town.
Paris Photo 2013
Photography is by no means dead but Paris Photo is moribund. Everyone has known for some time that the exhibition is really no more than an expensive, glossy trade show but this year was especially uninspiring. It was my belief that exhibitions/events like this should show new work, spark conversations and the like but this years offering was lazy and showed no inclination whatsoever to showcase inspiring work – unless it also happened to be large, colour and by the latest hot photographer.
When I have thousands of pounds to blow on a photograph to sit above my dinner table I shall head straight to Paris Photo and be doted on by gallerists and glamorous assistants, until then I think I will avoid it! The one redeeming feature that returned in 2013 was Aperture’s book award section with display copies for anyone who could squeeze through to see them.
Offprint Paris 2013
I didn’t spend as much time as I would have liked at Offprint this year, but as last year, it offered an antidote to Paris Photo. The hall was lively, packed with publishers and artists who were all keen to talk and show work, if a little rushed by the flow of visitors. I can’t say i saw a great deal that interested me, at least not compared to last year but as I talked with others who has been there, they produced some real gems – perhaps I simply needed more time to peruse.
The ‘live’ bookmaking project in the side print room was a highlight, I regretted not making one myself.
Le PhotobookFest
Fair warning: I helped, albeit in a small way, on this project.
Le PhotobookFest was organised by Pablo Porlan and Emilie Hallard of the Photobook Club Paris and featured Nathalie Belayache, Juan Cires and Ricardo Garrido (Of the Photobook Club Madrid), Akina Books and a host of other speakers and helpers. The idea was to create a space to exhibit interesting books and encourage informal but thoughtful discussions. With that in mind the three days were a huge success – from 300 odd folk arriving to the opening on Friday night to relaxed conversations over books at the bar on Sunday.
Image by Sean Davey of the Photobook Club Australia
I hope that in the days to come there may be other reviews of the event by people who were not directly involved – they may carry more weight than mine but in the meantime a huge thanks and congratulations for all who made it happen, especially to Emilie and Pablo who should be having a chilled week now!
Update 1: In fact I have just seen this posted by Annakarin Quinto:
“Wonderful books, good wine, plenty of coffee, warm passion, wide friendships, free hearts, new experiences, deep sharings and much more. Thank you the Le Photobookfest 2013 to make all this possible at Picturetank and le.bar. le bar Floréal.photographie”
What I learned in Paris, 2013:
– People are still talking about the bloody Afronauts!
– Being able to get cold beer for €2, see some brand spanking new work in the form of dummys and relax with a book from l’Ascenseur Végétal is close to photobook heaven
– For the most part, artists and publishers are keen to talk, share stories and collaborate
– Broomberg and Chanarin must not be bad-mouthed for fear of being shunned by the photobook community
– Along with the photobook itself, the viewer is evolving, ready to embrace new explorations into narrative formats within the once-linear medium of the book
– Gloves and coffee are essential items for an afternoon at Offprint
– BookJockey sessions are awesome and for their humor and relaxed atmosphere, cover a surprising amount of information, make some deep links and pose interesting questions
– There are too many books to even attempt seeing all of them, so many goodn’s will slip away unnoticed, a price we pay for such a rich publishing scene
– Conversations about the Photobook bubble and sustainability will persist until they are seriously addressed or we are afforded the benefit of hindsight
– Matt
Just a quick message, I am headed to Paris this Friday for Le PhotobookFest and a quick browse of Offprint Paris until Monday. There is an awesome set of events over at Le PhotobookFest, plus they have a bar/coffee space so perfect place to relax and discuss books.
Anyway, I digress. Pop me an email if you want to meet up and talk books/projects or raise a glass, otherwise, hope to see as many as possible at the opening party of ‘Le PhotobookFest’ or at the meetups on Sunday.
Matt
The inaugural World Photobook Day was instigated by the Photobook Club Madrid but quickly became a collaboration between many Photobook Club branches, publishers, bloggers, writers and photographers. The love shown by photobook enthusiasts was quite incredible and bodes well for a bigger and better event next year (mark your calendars).
To see what went on during the day, head over to www.photobookday.org or have a look at just a few highlights here:
The Photographers Gallery celebrate with a great interview featuring Aaron Mörel as well as offering money off in the Gallery bookshop.
The Photobook Club Alicante launches during Photobook Day
Thirty attend Photobook Day celebrations in Toowoomba, Australia run by Victoria Cooper and Doug Spowart.
Perhaps the best gauge of discussion on the day is via the twitter hashtag – #PhotobookDay which reached over 65,000 folks in 600+ tweets. A few featured below:
Great news from Angel Luis Duarte Sastre about an event on Monday which will see the launch of a new regularly meeting branch..
Finally we’ve the pleasure to announce that the Photobook Club Campo de Gibraltar will start activities next Monday 14’oct on Intrrnational Photobook Day!
We decided to run our first encounter with the presentation of a book by his author, 20:00h at the Public Library in Los Barrios (Cádiz).
The agenda will be:
#1. Presentation of the Photobook Club Campo de Gibraltar.
– The original idea from Matt Johnston, Spanish Photobook Clubs, activities and reasons to be.
#2. Presentation of the book ‘Nomads of The Strait of Gibraltar’ by his author, Fernando Barrios Partida.
– The author is a renowned photographer and ornithologist from Algeciras and has a lot of photographic works published including magazines like National Geographic Spain and BBC Wildlife UK. He is also co-author of The EBCC Atlas of European Breading Birds, The Spanish Atlas of Breading Birds and The Spanish Red Book of Birds.
Angel Luis Duarte Sastre
World Photobook Day, instigated by the hardworking and generous folks who run the Photobook Club Madrid (Bonifacio Barrio, Juan Cires and Ricardo Garrido) has acted as a catalyst for new cities to launch book clubs and gauge interest for the format.
You can see all of the planned events on photobookday.org and below are some of the events being put on by new cities, all run by passionate photobook enthusiasts…
Vitoria, Spain
Alicante, Spain
Toowoomba, Australia
Campo de Gibraltar
Cislan technical college, Langreo, Spain
If your are in the area, show your support and perhaps following these events, there will be a new group of clubs holding regular meetings.
It wont be too long before the Box of Books starts to come round the far side of the world and return home, but for now it keeps traveling away. It’s latest stop was with the Photobook Club in Kuala Lumpur who have also kindly offered to repackage the box as it is starting to look very ‘well loved’! The box has already traveled more than 20,000km so it is no surprise!
The box is currently in transit but will soon land in the hands of the Photobook Club Tokyo before heading on to Australia.
All images Faisal Aziz
Le PhotobookFest is a 3 days event with a focus on the photobook, from Friday 15 to Sunday 17 November 2013 in Paris. Launched by the Paris Photobook Club, this first edition mainly supports the young publishing scene with independent publishing houses as well as self-published and DIY books.
Le PhotobookFest is hosted at L’Ancienne Imprimerie/Picture Tank and Le bar Floréal. Those venues are located in the neighborhood of Belleville, home to one of Paris’s lively Chinatowns, a burgeoning artist quarter and a dizzying array of cultures.
Le PhotobookFest is a collaboration between the Paris Photobook Club, Madrid Photobook Club, Food for Your Eyes and Matt Johnston who are joining to curate this event. We are glad to invite you to attend the following activities:
– Rock your Dummy ! Open call, Exhibition & Award
– Workshop Do It Your Zine with Akina books
– Photobook DJ sessions
– The box of books : a hitchhikers guide to the galaxy
– Meeting PBC #6 with Independent Publishing House, Special Guest: Akina Books
– Bookshop corner with l’Ascenseur Végétal
– And more …
When?
From Friday 15 to Sunday 17 November 2013
Opening Friday 15 November 18.30 to 21.00
Where?
L’Ancienne Imprimerie/Picture Tank > 19 rue Bisson 75020 Paris (Metro station : Couronnes)
Le bar Floréal > 43 rue des Couronnes 75020 Paris (Metro station : Couronnes)