The Contemporary Photobook Magazine
Review by Hans Hickerson · I was curious when I saw that photographer Neil Selkirk had published a book of writing, Why Photographs?. I was not familiar with Selkirk’s work. I knew only that he had printed Diane Arbus’ posthumous photographs. What did he, an elder statesman of the medium, have to say about the... Continue Reading →
Review by Matt Schneider · What does limestone have to do with the history, development, and politics of Malta? Apparently quite a lot, as this is the undergirding (and extremely) compelling question at the center of Marcin Piekałkiewicz photobook, Built on Sand. Perhaps as you would expect, Built on Sand opens with images of crystal... Continue Reading →
Review by Steve Harp · If my review of Susanne Willuhn’s 2019 self-published monograph Das Jahr der Eidechse (The Year of the Lizard) were to consist of a single word, that word could be quirky. Or, perhaps elusive. Thankfully, I have more than one (or two) words with which to explore this surprising and engaging... Continue Reading →
Text and photos by Hans Hickerson · The 13th edition of the Fiebre Photobook Fest took place in Madrid from September 18 to 20. More than 130 exhibitors from some 20 countries exhibited their books. In addition to the book market there were book signings, presentations, catered lunches, and panel discussions. Photobooks from Mexico were... Continue Reading →
Review by Hans Hickerson · Bear with me as I begin with a digression. Have you lain awake at night pondering the mysteries of Roland Barthes’ “punctum?” I haven’t, and I usually find analytics unhelpful to my practice of photography. But I thought about the term again recently and wondered what AI would do with... Continue Reading →
Review by Hans Hickerson · OK, another senior photographer has just published a book of their early work. So let’s check it out. Is it like similar books? Is it murky, derivative student work that hasn’t yet found its voice? Would it see the light of day if not for the photographer’s name recognition and... Continue Reading →
Review by Hans Hickerson · When is less more and when is it less? When do fewer images in a photobook result in a better viewing experience, and when are more images better? It is a tricky question. Everyone’s experience of a book is personal. One person’s overstuffed album is another person’s fascinating collection. One... Continue Reading →
Review by Hans Hickerson · A photographer working outside the mainstream has advantages and challenges. The challenges include not being networked as an insider and sustaining belief in yourself when you are unknown. Among the advantages is the enormous benefit of seeing with fresh eyes, along with the ability to follow your own path without... Continue Reading →
Review by Olga Bubich · Regardless of their genre, language or author, there is always something common for all the expectations we have of books – whether those are conventional ones or photobooks. It is a story. Indeed, any book ever written or assembled of images has a certain unfolding narrative, a structure suggesting the... Continue Reading →
Review by Paul Anderson · In his photobook Fungi, Nicolai Howalt reveals the vivid, otherworldly beauty of fungal mycelium — an organism most of us never actually see. As surface dwellers we primarily encounter fungi as mushrooms, which are the fruiting bodies of fungi. Howalt, however, photographs mycelium, which is normally found below the fruiting... Continue Reading →
