Old-fashioned analog books
It's time for another FlakPhoto book round-up! Plus, I'm giving away a copy of Welcome to THE SALON. Who wants it?
"People don't go on the internet to engage with a book...nothing really replaces the physical book." — Edward Burtynsky
He’s right. The internet is miraculous, but if I’ve learned anything over the past two decades as a reader, it’s that staying focused online is a severe challenge. I’ve written about attention here before — clearly, it’s a hobbyhorse of mine. Attention matters because we are what we think. And let’s face it: the internet is destroying our ability to sustain our concentration on most things.
This is one of the reasons I love books: they allow us to absorb our minds in what we’re reading. Best of all, there aren’t any pinging notifications!
I watched this conversation between Gerhard Steidl and Edward Burtynsky over lunch the other afternoon. It’s fun to hear book folks talk shop. Burtynsky opens with some spot-on rationale for the continued tradition of bookmaking. To be sure, physical books aren’t going anywhere.
I adore print matter. I know that many of you do, too. Based on the response to my previous photobook roundup, you want to see more photography book stuff here in the newsletter. That’s fine by me! Below are some of the books that have caught my eye lately. I hope you find something you like.
As always, if you’re making a book, I want to hear about it. Please email me anytime. Let me know what you think about the Burtynsky video. Are photography books going to be here for the long haul, or will AI ruin that, too?
Most of you know that I’m a Midwesterner. There’s a special vibe up here where we live, and few photographers picture it better than Nathan Pearce. I met Nathan on Instagram and was thrilled when he agreed to be part of New Midwest Photography, a show I curated at the James Watrous Gallery in 2018. He’s a gentle guy, and his pictures are genuine expressions of this part of the world.
Nathan has published zines for years, riffing on the backroads beauty of Southern Illinois, where he lives, and it’s nice to see these photographs given a proper printing in Deadbeat Club’s monograph. High & Lonesome is about the Midwest, which is both a place and a state of mind. As I thumbed its pages again today I think it’s about America too.
Tim Carpenter and Nathan are longtime collaborators. You can still pick up a special edition of their book, Still Feel Gone. I was happy to see a short essay of Tim’s accompany these images at the end of the book. These guys are soul brothers, and it’s fun to think about them out there roaming the plains with their cameras. This is a quiet book; sometimes, that’s everything you need.
I met photographer Pao Houa Her when she lectured at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art last spring. I had seen one of her prints at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., the previous fall and was delighted to learn she had roots in the Midwest. Pao is funny and sweet, and we had a great time getting to know each other over coffee before her talk. I was excited when I learned she was releasing a book with Aperture. My grandfather turned into a tiger … and other illusions dropped in January, and she’s the focus of Aperture’s latest PhotoBook Club episode. I want to host a show like this… Congrats, Pao!
One of my readers, Mériol Lehmann, messaged me the other night to see if I was familiar with Meryl McMaster’s work. I wasn’t, and I’m glad I am now. Meryl is a Canadian Plains Cree artist who blends photography with hand-crafted materials and performance. I still have much to learn about her, but my initial searches led me to the Magenta Foundation, where she published Bloodlines last year. Maryann Camilleri, who runs Magenta, is an old friend who does amazing things with photography, so I have high hopes for this one. I haven’t seen it yet, but a copy is coming soon. I’ll keep you posted. I know some of you will dig this one.
I love projects like this: David Armentor and Brandt Vicknair emailed in December to tell me about a new imprint they were launching. Density Press focuses on Gulf South artists using photography. They released Volume One, Hello, I’m a Ghost, late last year (limited copies are still available), and their second installment, Walk on Water, is scheduled to drop in March. If you like the look of these books, you should subscribe to their newsletter. Density Press is one to watch.
Win this book!
Two years ago, photographer Janelle Lynch invited me to talk about FlakPhoto at The Salon, a virtual artist community she was hosting on Zoom. Sharing my projects with these imagemakers was fun, and we all had a good time. More than that, I appreciated what Janelle had created: a close-knit community of photographers who gathered weekly to show their work and talk about images together.
I have long thought about doing something like this, and I admire how Janelle has evolved and expanded this project. Last fall, The Salon published its first book, Welcome to THE SALON. She’ll talk with Tonal Editions publisher Lee Isles at the International Center of Photography on February 24. If you’re in the New York City area, I hope you’ll check it out.
For those of you (like me) who aren’t able to attend, I’m giving away a copy of the book in the newsletter this week. Submission is FREE and easy.
Tell me what you’re reading for a chance to win. I'll draw one random winner from the comments on February 27, 2024. Good luck!
Okay, that’s all for this week. I hope you like these books! Take care.
I’m reading Sally Mann’s memoir, Hold Still. Great book!
It occurred to me today that if the digital medium collapses, stored digital data files and images vaporise, the only record of the modern world may be that recorded in books. The photobook is an important tangible record.