After a positive response from Jeff Ladd on 5B4 and having been selected as one of Markus Schaden’s top ten photography books of 2009, it seems that Sébastien Girard’s Nothing But Home has begun to receive the attention it deserves. Self-published in an edition of 500 copies (with a special edition of 100) and beautifully printed in Girard’s hometown of Toulouse, France, the book itself takes on the personal charm of the photographs within.

It opens to a quote from French poet Francis Ponge: “The simplest way is to take up everything again from the beginning, lie down on the grass, and start over, as if one knew nothing.” Nothing But Home reads the title page. The photographs that follow explore the renovation of Girard’s own home, his first home, with an intensity that immediately draws us closer.

spread from Nothing But Home, 2009
© Sébastien Girard

spread from Nothing But Home, 2009
© Sébastien Girard

spread from Nothing But Home, 2009
© Sébastien Girard

spread from Nothing But Home, 2009
© Sébastien Girard

Photographs of stained ceilings, dirty surfaces, broken light bulbs, peeling paint, slabs of wood, sawdust, wet concrete, old books, dark holes and the occasional presence of protruding nature at first seem revolting in the cruel light of the camera’s flash. The images are claustrophobic, chaotic and clinical, yet they maintain an attention to details and imperfections that eventually shows them as laborious, loving – the way in which the act of repair is.

spread from Nothing But Home, 2009
© Sébastien Girard

There is a photograph from the beginning of this tome, which hovered in the back of my mind as I turned the rest of the pages of the book. It is a photograph of another photograph that rests quietly on the wall above a rusty stove. Within the white border of the image is a scene that is in direct contrast to its surroundings, describing what appears to be a clean, warm study with leather-bound books, cigars and a bottle of liquor in the foreground and a burning fireplace in the distance. The reality of Girard’s photographs quickly reveal what lies beneath this brief encounter with fantasy: the bare bones of a home.

Girard described his book to me as a metaphor for beginnings and for creation. And when asked what ‘home’ means, he responded simply, “The place where I start all of my journeys.”

As the first in a series of books that he plans to publish throughout 2010, I can only wonder where Sébastien Girard will take us next.

–

Originally published in Photo-eye Magazine, March 12, 2010.
Nothing But Home can be purchased here.

It’s a rainy day, so I’m spending some time with a few recent acquisitions…

HERE, a large-scale (22.5 x 12.5 in.) newsprint “book” that accompanies John Gossage’s exhibition “Here… Half Blind,” on view through April 11th, 2010 at the Rochester Art Center.
Edition of 500, available for $50.

The Great Unreal by Taiyo Onorato and Nico Krebs.
First edition, available for $76.

From Adam Murray and Robert Parkinson, a Preston is My Paris zine with a 4×6 color photograph on the cover (Edition of 150), Adam’s book Your Negatives (Edition of 30), and a nice letter written on a typewriter.
Your Negatives is available for £4 ($6) here.

From Medium Rare, Cally Robertson’s zine If You Can Keep.
Edition of 60, available for $6.

From Seth Fluker, his self-published book Before Things Change.
Edition of 500, available for $17.50.

Two from Raymond Taudin Chabot: Cast (Part 2) and Cast (Part 4), made in collaboration with editor/designer Roger Willems.
Edition of 600 each, available for €5 ($7) and €15 ($20) respectively.

A signed, first edition copy of Alec Soth’s Sleeping by the Mississippi. I had a second printing of it, but thanks to a trade I acquired the original… long overdue.
Available for a pretty penny.

In the spirit of his oeuvre, Roe Ethridge’s Farewell Horse is at first encounter both seductive and elusive. The book itself, bound in natural cloth with a tipped-in photograph on the cover, is structured in three distinct and seemingly unrelated parts – the central one being black and white photographs of wild horses. These horses, I researched and discovered, were at one time domesticated but later abandoned on Cumberland Island off of Georgia’s coast. Outtakes from a magazine shoot (from which many of Ethridge’s fine art images derive), the feral animals are pictured intimately against palm trees, vinyl siding and on the beach. The photographs immediately imply a situation fraught with solitude yet occasionally reveal moments of glory.

spread from Farewell Horse, 2009
© Roe Ethridge / Rat Hole Gallery

spread from Farewell Horse, 2009
© Roe Ethridge / Rat Hole Gallery

spread from Farewell Horse, 2009
© Roe Ethridge / Rat Hole Gallery

In conversation with the work of Thomas Ruff, Michael Schmidt, Christopher Williams and other artists who are interested in the language and conventions of the medium, Ethridge embraces the arbitrariness of the image. “For me, serendipity and intention are both necessary,” he has said of his work, which comes through in his practice. By arranging and rearranging his photographs in various edits and contexts, Ethridge continually reveals their elasticity and reminds us of the possibility for new meanings later down the road.

spread from Farewell Horse, 2009
© Roe Ethridge / Rat Hole Gallery

spread from Farewell Horse, 2009
© Roe Ethridge / Rat Hole Gallery

Between 1995 and 1997, Ethridge made the thirteen blurry black and white photographs of flower arrangements that follow the horses. At that time, he just graduated from college and owned a 4×5 camera body but no lens. With little money, he rigged a pinhole lens and photographed the still lifes using “modified textiles” (cheap patterned fabric that he painted on) as backdrops. Ethridge traces his inspiration for these works to both the Bechers and Matisse, which is surprisingly apparent. The studies are at once dreary and sublime.

spread from Farewell Horse, 2009
© Roe Ethridge / Rat Hole Gallery

spread from Farewell Horse, 2009
© Roe Ethridge / Rat Hole Gallery

The color photographs that begin the book elicit an eerie sense of mystery. Their subject matter is rather ordinary, even familiar, perhaps scenes from Ethridge’s own daily life: a red checkered umbrella, an empty chair, the shadow of a fence, a snowy picture overlooking part of the Williamsburg bridge. Farewell Horse offers no accompanying text, just these sets of photographs for the viewer to reflect upon. It isn’t long before we realize that part of the point is this search for significance. Opportunely, Ethridge’s photographs have a distinctive ability to reveal the layers of meaning that lie beyond the surface if only we’re willing to really look.

–

Originally published in Photo-eye Magazine, February 15, 2009.
Farewell Horse can be purchased here.

Continuing where the first installment left off:

Estate, a set of two books encompassing works (including one of my own) curated by Triangle Triangle’s Jake Dow-Smith. This edition was hand printed/sewn by Jake himself to help fund a larger run of these books.
Edition of 10, SOLD OUT.

Life Geos On (yes, that misspelling is on purpose) by Per Englund. Thanks Per!
Edition of 1,000, available for 198 kronor ($26).

Also from Per, two books titled But What Are You Running From? by Erik Wåhlström. Published by Museum Studio, both with original 4×6 prints on the covers.
Edition of 200 each, soon to be available here.

Lester B. Morrison’s Lost Boy Mountain from Little Brown Mushroom. I’m still not sure what’s up with all of the “LBM”s (anyone?) but this is a great little book.
Edition of 1,000, available for $8.75.

Underscore Quarterly’s fourth issue, SEA, was guest edited by Grant Willing. The issue is printed on newsprint and folds out to a poster of sorts. Features the work of Ruth van Beek, Noel Boyt, Daniel Gustav Cramer, Mårten Lange, and David Schoerner. The other side also has the entirety of Moby Dick; Or The Whale by Herman Melville written out really tiny. Thanks, Jesse.
Edition of 1,000, available for $8.

My good friend Greg Halpern published a nice limited-edition book of color laser prints with letterpressed cover through J&L. Thanks Jason!
Edition of 30, available for $50.

Also from J&L, David La Spina’s Mamaroneck. A hand-made Xerox copy of the original book, with tipped-in color photographs. Thanks David!
1st Edition of 15, SOLD OUT
2nd Edition of 15, available for $50.

From Sébastien Girard, his new self-published book titled Nothing But Home. Look out for a short review of this soon. Thank you, Sébastien.
Edition of 500, available for €39 ($53).
Special edition of 100, available for €120 ($164).

Stephen DiRado sent me a beautiful handmade book, which I felt compelled to share here. The book, titled With Dad, came to me in a cloth-covered slip case with a photograph glued to the cover. The images inside are a documentation of Stephen’s relationship with his father Gene, who was affected by Alzheimer’s before he passed away in December 2009. Going back to 1985, the black and white photographs are deeply personal and extremely moving, and to view them in such a lovingly made book (the first, in fact, since his father’s death) was really special.

Thank you, Stephen.

Visit Stephen’s website to see more photographs from With Dad.

Photo-eye Magazine just published The Best Books of 2009, which brings together the selections of 25 prominent photographers, bookmakers, editors, publishers and critics. I’m happy to say that Lay Flat 01: Remain in Light was one of the featured titles, selected by Daniel Espeset (Contributing Editor at Photo-eye).

Have a look at all of the selections here.

To kick things off after the holiday lull, I thought I’d take a moment to share some of the great books/mail/gifts that I’ve acquired in the last few weeks…

From Mr. Jason Lazarus, a new motivational poster to go in the office. I absolutely love this. Thank you Jason!

A gorgeous set of silver gelatin prints from Timothy Briner. Can’t wait to frame these! Speaking of which, those of you in New York should go see Tim’s “Boonville” show, on display until February 27th at Daniel Cooney Fine Art.

Chris Killip’s Isle of Man, a rare booklet of photographs that can be torn into six 2×3 in. postcards, published by Side Gallery in 1980 to accompany his “Isle of Man” exhibition. I had a nice lunch with Chris today and he was happy to sign it for me.

Two titles from Farewell Books: Kalle Sanner’s Gravity and Mårten Lange’s Crows. These are beautiful, thanks Mårten!
Both in an edition of 500, available for $10 each.

Henry Roy’s Spirit, published by Gottlund Verlag. Thanks Nicholas!
Edition of 1,000, available for $55.

Erik van der Weijde’s FOTO.ZINE NR.3, a set of four books: “Accidents,” “Hand Guns,” “Palm Trees” and the “Pink Issue.” Thanks Erik!
Edition of 300, available for €15 ($22).

Grant Willing’s Fils de la Liberté, put out by JSBJ.
Edition of 50, SOLD OUT.

Alexander Martinez’s Old Glory, a zine put out by Kaugummi Books. Thanks Alex!
Edition of 100, SOLD OUT.

From Café Royale, four of their recently published zines: Zeroten’s Welcome To Prison, Lin Yi-Hsuan’s The Shaved Guy, Justin Waldron’s Seven Days and Paul Paper’s Sofa-trip Around Europe. Thanks Craig!
All in an edition of 100, available for £3 ($5) each.

Photographers Adam Golfer, Daniel Shea, Joe Leavenworth and TJ Proechel put together this limited-edition envelope of 4×5 in. prints, which they offered for free through their Dream Boats Collective website. Thanks guys!
Edition of 50, available for FREE GONE.

Jacob Koestler’s New York State, a collection of 10 postcards in manila envelope, signed and numbered. Thanks Jacob!
Edition of 100, available for $20.

Also from Jacob Koestler, Roll Series publishes complete rolls of 35mm film. Pictured along with a nice handmade slipcase are three from Roll Series 001: Ed Panar’s “Newfoundland, September 2009,” Emmy Volkar’s “Stable Road/Christmas 2008″ and Ian Rummell’s “10/29.”
Available for $32

Joachim Schmid’s Joachim Schmid is Martin Parr · Martin Parr is Joachim Schmid, a print on demand book with an interesting concept. Thanks Joachim!
Available in softcover for $20 or in hardcover for $30.

Photographic Works, a box of over 200 5×7 in. black and white postcards available for purchase to benefit the Foundation for Contemporary Arts. Check out the list of participating artists… this thing is packed full of great stuff.
Available for $45.

J&L’s Paper Placemats (ATL), a very kind gift from Michael David Murphy who I had the pleasure of meeting up and chatting with during a recent visit to Atlanta. Thanks again Michael!
Edition of 2,000, NFS.

Roe Ethridge’s Farewell Horse. Look out for a review of this soon.
Edition of 1,000, available for $89.

Last but not least, a stack of great books from my mother (aka Santa Claus):

Michael Lesy’s Wisconsin Death Trip
Emmet Gowin’s Photographs
Lar Tunbjörk’s Vinter
Paul Graham’s A Shimmer of Possiblity
Taryn Simon’s An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar

Viviane Sassen’s Flamboya brings together photographs from her recent visits to Africa. Though predominantly raised in the Netherlands, from the ages of two to five Sassen lived in a Kenyan village with her father, a doctor who worked at a neighboring polio clinic. The memories from the photographer’s early childhood are, as Edo Dijksterhuis describes in the book’s essay, “tinged with black.” In 2001 at the age of 29, Sassen returned to Africa with a camera and began taking the gestural pictures that reflect her complex and loving relationship to the place. For some, her photographs may call to mind the work of Araki, Nan Goldin or even Wolfgang Tillmans, and yet Sassen has a way of seeing that remains her own.

spread from Flamboya, 2009
© Viviane Sassen / Contrasto

spread from Flamboya, 2009
© Viviane Sassen / Contrasto

spread from Flamboya, 2009
© Viviane Sassen / Contrasto

spread from Flamboya, 2009
© Viviane Sassen / Contrasto

Flamboya includes primarily portraits that Sassen made collaboratively with her subjects, some spontaneous and others performative. Red clay, fabrics, concrete and the ocean provide the surreal backdrops to her collection of images. The portraits are unusual in that they emphasize the contours of the body, its movement, physicality and skin, rather than the facial features of the subjects, which are often obscured by harsh shadow or paint. The shadow and the paint, which appear throughout the book, seem to reference Sassen’s symbolic experience or memory of the ethnic ‘Other’ – more certainly, it continually provokes questions in the viewer.

The format of the book is atypical in its playful utilization of smaller pages, which aid to construct the intricate relationships between the sequenced images. These pages also make certain photographs feel secretive or hidden until they are unveiled by the reader, perhaps a considered parallel to the notion of the shadow in her photographs.

spread from Flamboya, 2009
© Viviane Sassen / Contrasto

spread from Flamboya, 2009
© Viviane Sassen / Contrasto

spread from Flamboya, 2009
© Viviane Sassen / Contrasto

spread from Flamboya, 2009
© Viviane Sassen / Contrasto

Though a recent discovery, I’ve returned to Flamboya many times already for its recurring beauty and mystery – likely a book that I will not forget to open again.

–

Originally published in Photo-eye Magazine, December 18, 2009.
Flamboya can be purchased here.

Jake Dow-Smith of Triangle Triangle (and the collective blog MANY) just released a limited edition of 10 copies of Estate, a new book of photographs – a set of two, actually – that he curated, printed and hand bound himself. The sales of these books are to support the funding of a larger and more affordable edition, aimed to be published early in 2010.

Estate features work by an eclectic mix of photographers, including myself:

Daniel Augschoell, Alexander Paul Brandes, Alexi Hobbs, Marlon Kowalski, Jake Dow-Smith, Sean Stewart, Will Govus, Carlo Van De Roer, Pete Halupka, Justin James Reed, Matthew Genitempo, Hin Chua, Pedro Alfacinha, Frankie Pike, Andrew Nemiroski, Bryan Schutmaat, Julia Grassi, Katharina Schumacher, Maximilian Haidacher, Hannah Whitaker, Grant Willing, Keith Davis Young, Austin Irving, Jessica Williams, Ernest Protasiewicz, Felicia Honkasalo, Shane Lavalette and Sam Williams

A preview:

See more spreads or purchase a copy here.

I assure you these won’t last long.

UPDATE: Sold out in less than two hours! Hear about the release of the larger edition by signing up for the mailing list.

Artist Book Database, “an online database of artist books, zines, catalogues and independent publications,” was just launched by David Schoerner (of Hassla Books). The website, which is updated daily, now has over 500 titles and 250 artists and looks to be a excellent, growing resource.

If you have a book to add to the database, write to info [at] artistbookdatabase.org