Text and photo essay by Hans Hickerson ·
Along with other art book publishers, the Printed Matter Art Book Fair at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena hosted some four dozen photobook publishers this year, plenty to keep a photobook pilgrim busy for a couple of days.
Looking at photobooks can be an intense experience if you are not grazing but rather digging in and chowing down. Add crowds and conversations to the mix and it can tire you out, but in a good way, like a day of home improvement projects or a long bike ride.
You could probably find all of the photobooks at the fair online, but if you are like me you might find only two percent of them in the bookstores where you live. Seeing so many photobooks in one place is a treat. Books are physical objects, meant to be smelled and held, and viewing them in the flesh is way better than looking at them on a screen.
There was no Printed Matter L.A. Art Book Fair last year in 2024. After the apparent success of this year’s edition, let’s hope that it returns in 2026.
Gerry Clausing and Hans Hickerson in Pasadena, May 2025.
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