The Contemporary Photobook Magazine
Review by Steve Harp • I find surreal one of the most consistently misused of words, not only in art contexts but in general usage as well. Most often the speaker will mean visually fantastic or simply unbelievable. However, this is far from the concept of “surrealism” as offered by Andre Breton in his manifestos. For Breton, surreal meant... Continue Reading →
Welcome to our 27th Issue •We have begun our summer reading and hope you will consider some of our recently featured books to join you on your holiday adventures. Douglas StockdaleSenior Editor ____ Book reviews for June 2021: Carissa Dorson - Conversations with Dad Communicating with one’s parents can be quite a chore, no matter at what age... (more) ____ Cyrilla... Continue Reading →
Review by Douglas Stockdale • Looking at the photographs of Jordi Barreras’s photobook, Already But Not Yet, one might mistakenly think that his project was created during the COVID pandemic revealing singular individuals in a vacant megalopolis. Only after close inspection and noting the missing masks, which is a hint, that this is probably not true. This... Continue Reading →
Review by madhu joseph-john • These days the ‘Me Too’ and ‘Black Lives Matter’ movements consume our attention. Deservedly so. Yet, consider the fact that domestic violence, gender inequality, sex trafficking, rape, incest and misogyny, all travesties predominantly or wholly victimizing the female, mind you, have been around much longer. Here in the USA, ostensibly the most advanced... Continue Reading →
Front Cover, Blue Bar Rear cover, Blue Bar Review by Douglas Stockdale • The humidity and occasional fog derived by the proximity of a river can create beautifully dreamlike conditions or provide a mysterious backdrop for a creepy event. Between these these two polar opposites is a low-contrast environment that elicits a kind of gloominess,... Continue Reading →
Review by Wayne Swanson • With its familiar yellow-and-black color scheme and blocky cover design, A Small Guide to Homeownership appears to be just another addition to the shelves of “For-Dummies” how-to books. And with a table of contents featuring chapters that progress from “Home Sweet Home: Still the Best Investment You Will Ever Make” to “Protecting Yourself... Continue Reading →
Review by Melanie Chapman · One of the rare gifts of the year 2020, perhaps the only silver lining to a deeply challenging period for so many people throughout the world, has been the opportunity/necessity to look within for a sense of mystery and adventure. We’ve all been required to slow down our frenetic modern pace... Continue Reading →
Review by Gerhard Clausing • Very seldom do we encounter photobooks that not only are a total surprise but can serve to entertain us too. This is one such exceptional example. During the height of the pandemic, Kessels and Sauvin exchanged visuals from their extensive collection of anonymous ‘vernacular’ photographs with each other, and now... Continue Reading →
Review by Douglas Stockdale • Regretfully 2020 is going to be known as the year of the pandemic and that this is a beast of a year for many reasons. The pandemic affected us all in a myriad of ways, some tragically with a loss in the family, for others a short bout of induced isolation,... Continue Reading →
Review by Gerhard Clausing • Communicating with one’s parents can be quite a chore, no matter at what age we find ourselves. And for a girl growing up, her dad is that special guy who usually serves as the first example and model of what men might be like later on in her life. This... Continue Reading →
PhotoBook Journal 