One look is never enough (2023)
My favourite photobooks of the year.
One of the conundrums I face is running out of bookshelf space.
It’s a regular reminder that I’m buying more photobooks than I should. I suppose there are worse things I could spend money on. At least it inspires me to look at the world differently.
If I do need more space, there is one thing for certain… these 8 photobooks, my favourites from the last 12 months, will always have a home.
They are not in order of preference except the first one. Monument is one of my favourite photobooks of this year, and probably of the last few years.
One thing that stands out is five of the eight could be classified as British documentary photography.1
86% of you who read this live elsewhere so it may give you a certain impression of Blighty.2 It’s not our whole island story; just a few versions of it.
I hope you are tempted to buy one or two. If you do, they read best when bought direct from the photographer, or the publisher, or an independent bookseller.
To make this easier the links are by each book.
Monument by Trent Parke
The publishers described Monument as “… a portal through which we bear witness to the disintegration of the universe.”
I wrote about the book in more detail in this Substack post ‘I am Forever Chasing Light.’
Purchased from the publisher, Stanley Barker.
Photographic Etchings by Jack Davison
A catalogue of Jack Davison’s first solo UK exhibition. One of the most original photographers of our age. I am constantly amazed and intrigued by his work.
“He wants his photos to be untethered moments of longing that exist because the light was perfect for an instant and he and his subject danced for a moment.” (Kathy Ryan)
Purchased from the gallery, Cob.
1946 - 2022 by Chris Killip
This beautifully designed retrospective gives you a definitive survey of his magnificent career.
(Full disclosure, the Chris Killip Photography Trust is one of my clients).
Purchased from the publishers, Thames & Hudson.
The Harbour by Jem Southam
Photos made between 1978-83 of Bristol’s last days as a working harbour and before gentrification introduced flats, bars, benches and paddle boards.
Earlier this year I followed in Southam’s footsteps and took photos from similar vantage points to see how it has changed. It will be the subject of a future post.
Purchased from the publishers RRB Photobooks.
Photographs 1955 - 2022 by David Hurn
The first full career retrospective of Magnum Photographer, David Hurn. His influence goes beyond his photos. He set up the School for Documentary Photography in Newport which amongst its alumni was Tish Murtha.
“Life, as it unfolds in front of the camera, is full of so much complexity, wonder, and surprise that I find it unnecessary to create new realities.”
Purchased from the publishers, RRB Photobooks.
The Land is Yellow, the Sky is Blue by and Anna Nekrasova-Wilson
Marc Wilson’s books are intricately timed, atmospheric documents of places with historical significance placed in the present day.
This book is a lament for Ukraine. These photos of a village, a “lost paradise”3, were made before the Russian invasion.
At the time of publication, of the 360 people who live in Balakliya; 49 are fighting on the front-line and two are dead.
Purchased from the photographer.
Book of the Road by Daniel Meadows
This wonderful book, (nostalgically designed to mimic the 1967 AA Book of the Road), celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Free Photographic Omnibus.
Daniel Meadows drove around England in a double-decker bus for 14 months and photographed 958 people. It’s a fascinating snapshot of fashions and attitudes which are made more resonant by the photos he made in the 1990s of the same people. The book includes extracts of his experiences and interviews with the participants.
Purchased from the publisher, Bluecoat Press.
A Country Kind of Silence by Ian Howarth
“This is a Britain of distant summers. Of homesickness for somewhere never visited; for a place that never existed but can be felt deeply and almost see, somewhere far out to sea.” Harry Gallon in the postscript.
Purchased from the publisher, Setanta Books.
A couple more books may have made the list but I have only recently received them and I haven’t given them the time they deserve yet. They are Seven Hills by Chris Hoare and Things Become Other Things by Craig Mod. Also, I have to wait for Santa to give me a copy of the Saul Leiter Centennial Retrospective. I have no doubt that it would have made this list.
You can discover which books made my 2022 list here:
My interest in British documentary photography is probably influenced by having the Martin Parr Foundation down the road.
“Balakliya. My lost paradise… Since February 2022 my heart has tirelessly sought shelter there from the whirlwind of the terrible reality.” Iuliia Budnik
Ooh thanks for the head's up on Jack's catalogue, immediately put my order in.
Interesting list Andrew. Will check those photographers out.