The Contemporary Photobook Magazine
Review by Melanie Chapman · Ain’t I a Photographer? Let Us Now Praise Not-So-Famous Women. If you are interested in expanding your knowledge of photographic his/herstory, if terminology such as “oppositional gaze” “self-commodification” and “inclusivity” gets your attention, if you celebrate any gift giving rituals around this time of year, or if you just love spending... Continue Reading →
Review by Wayne Swanson • At a time when finding common ground seems increasingly difficult, there is still one place to go — underground. The subway is a great equalizer, bringing together people of all ages, social and economic classes, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religions, and homelands. In METRO/ New York/ London/ Paris, renowned photographer Herb Robinson captures... Continue Reading →
Review by Melanie Chapman • Why would someone carry a 258-page hardcover photobook with them across an ocean and throughout four countries when much of the photographer’s work is accessible on-line? When the book is the new retrospective Vivian Maier published by Thames and Hudson, the only appropriate response is “Why Not?!” - As the “someone” who... Continue Reading →
Review by Micah McCoy • While Odette England’s Dairy Character may first seem a pointed feminist critique of dairy farm culture, a deeper investigation of the text reveals the nuance necessary to adequately address the author’s complex relationship with her past. Odette was raised a farmer’s daughter on her parents’ Australian dairy farm. Her upbringing came with expectations... Continue Reading →
Reviewed by Rudy Vega • The cover of Julie Blackmon’s Midwest Materials depicts the following: four children-all of which have their faces turned away from us, the viewers. They are caught in mid-stride–two girls skipping towards the wall of the building marked by the name of the book- Midwest Materials, while another has arms stretched skyward... Continue Reading →
Review by Kristin Dittrich • As a contributing Editor for Photobook Journal, I usually focus on reviewing contemporary photobooks published in Europe. In May 2022 I had the opportunity to be in New York City (this event was held May 21st and 22nd) concurrent with the first "Photobook Fest“, which is sponsored by the International Center for... Continue Reading →
Review by Wayne Swanson • Arab Spring. The Mexican-U.S. border crises. Ongoing strife in Africa. And now the exodus from Ukraine to escape the Russian assault. What to do with all these refugees? Germany, in the wake of the wave of emigration caused by Arab Spring uprisings in 2015, emerged as a beacon of hope by... Continue Reading →
Review by Melanie Chapman • The mystery that is India, “where you can touch what is most essential, where life and death are always side-by-side.” This is the subject of the new photobook by renowned colorist Harry Gruyaert, representing a dozen trips made over the span of forty years. In his introduction, Magnum photographer Gruyaert reflects on... Continue Reading →
Review by Douglas Stockdale • Although Brian O’Neill’s southern California subject, Beach Boulevard, extends from the San Gabriel mountains to the Pacific Ocean, his emphasis appears to circle around one of the end-points: the urban landscape of Huntington Beach, a costal community. His perspective is a combination of street photographer, with hints of photographic-documentary, overlaid with... Continue Reading →
PBJ Issue Number 35 • February became a difficult month for those who love democracy, with an unrelenting attack of Ukraine by a madman in Russia. We are unsure of how this will end, but I am voting for the people of Ukraine to persevere. Remember, most Russian citizens do not support this war, thus as you consider what Russian goods to... Continue Reading →
PhotoBook Journal 