Once again it is that time of year where I try to drum up some sort of edit from all of the incredible work the photography book world offers up. This year is difficult as I felt it has been one of the strongest years in recent memory with many titles that are worthy of sincere mention.
I run two lists every year, one for our kind friends at photobookstore. There has been a subsequent list with our friends at Dead Beat Club. There will be some overlap with descriptions on that list here. The list I am offering is in no particular hierarchical order. If you come after that with delays, or publish after the floating Mid-November date, then you are conscribed to the following year. There is some uncertainty on the matter and I think we should have a quasi-mandate on it. So as soon as both Polycopies and Offprint shut, we enter a new season.
That seems fair to me. At the end of things, lists do not sell books, but I think if by sheer volume alone, that many people like to see the lists-they represent some feedback to the artists and publishers, but also illuminate unseen books that people may not have had the chance to examine.
I pay attention, though can admit fatigue at times and vehement disagreement, but then maybe if it s a problem to look at book lists, I can go back to the ever-present and glorious news for inspirationโฆ. Now to the particulars of the year in end and some general thoughts and misgivings about the current situation in which we find ourselves that promises not to be insulting, but ultimately will value a wee bit of a rant as well. I find that the lists are very wide this year and if I am completely frank, some of the lists are poor in respect to reasons from which to draw an analysis.
Whereas my list may seem a bit too wide, I would challenge anyone to look up a number of the lists and look at the punitive and small one-liners associated with the lack of explication of choice.
