Thinking about Books – Ontology, Style and Essence
Review of The Sea by Barbara Bosworth
https://www.wildreflections.photography/uncategorised/review-of-the-sea-by-barbara-bosworth
Paper Surfaces and Printing Images
https://www.wildreflections.photography/uncategorised/paper-surfaces-and-printing-images
Rhythm of Nature by Sandra Bartocha
https://www.wildreflections.photography/uncategorised/rhythm-of-nature-by-sandra-bartocha
Most PhD candidates seemed to present an exhibition of their work in a reasonably standard form, but I felt while an exhibition would allow me to produce images on a large scale (A2 or above), I felt this form of display would lack the intimacy of sharing the images in a relaxed and slow manner that reflects my work as a “quiet photographer” (Badger 2002). Furthermore, my images contain traces of Being and nuances that require careful and close examination. Another factor in my early consideration was that I intended to choose a textured paper best suited to display the tree images in particular, and the glass on the frames would reduce the impact of this paper choice. And so, the idea was borne that I would produce a large format Artist’s Book.
As my considerations continued, I reviewed the books of a number of photographers and artists including Awoiska van der Molen (Blanco and The Living Mountain), Matthew Murray (Saddleworth – Responding to a Landscape), Barbara Bosworth (The Sea) and latterly the newly published Rhythm of Nature by Sandra Bartocha. While I loved the scrapbook aesthetic of Awoiska van der Molen, the professional and high-quality production of Saddleworth, and the comprehensive nature of The Sea, it was the self-published book by Sandra Bartocha that gave me the most inspiration. From the non-standard just off-square format, the white space around the images and her collaboration with a friend to create words presented alongside her photographic work. Furthermore, her images and approach were most akin to my own practice.
My thinking concluded with the production of a handmade Artist’s Book with glassine paper between the pages. I began to see the book as my performance as a quiet photographer. The scale of the book allowed me to share nuances. I was seeking allure within the single images while the set of images in the book represent multiple readings of the landscape and my subjects. The image is an individual layer, added to by subsequent images and viewings. Whereas the images in my thesis are more of a story of single images, the book is about the combination too. I hope the book will be an art object that will be revisited, that will sit on the coffee table and be returned to time, and time again as different meanings and details emerge.
References
Badger, G. (2002). “Stephen Shore, In Praise of a “Quiet” Photographer.”
