December 24, 2019
PHOTOBOOKS OF NOTE 2019 - BRYAN SCHUTMAAT
I'm really glad this list is for books of "note" and not books considered the "best" or "favorites." With so many books dropping, that would be a near impossible task as there are too many I haven't seen. This year I'm keeping it slim and simple -- six books I really loved this year.
Kleinstadt by Ute & Werner Mahler
This book is an expertly crafted portrayal of small towns in Germany. Landscapes are mixed with portraits of rural youth, whose fate is open-ended. The compositions are complex yet very clear. The portraits are touching. Overall, this work is absolutely beautiful.
This book is an expertly crafted portrayal of small towns in Germany. Landscapes are mixed with portraits of rural youth, whose fate is open-ended. The compositions are complex yet very clear. The portraits are touching. Overall, this work is absolutely beautiful.
Combining photography and writing is a difficult task, and Alan Huck does it exceedingly well. The book visually meanders through the city of Albuquerque and the text serves as somewhat of a cinematic voiceover coming from a narrator with an overactive brain. Both image and words are smart, stylish, and thought provoking -- a fun read that may need numerous visits to fully appreciate.
If Mark publishes a book in any given year, it'll likely be on my list, and Carnival is no exception -- Steinmetz doing Steinmetz things. (I haven't seen Summer Camp yet.)
Fridlyand has made a moving book filled great photos of pastoral tranquility. In the vein of Ray Meeks, the atmosphere she creates is affectionally observed, coming close to sentimentality yet riding the line to perfection.
The archival photos in this book were taken in a remote part of Sweden some hundred years ago, and they are weird and brilliant. Daniels assembles these images with her own contemporary work (shot in the same region) to create a compelling conversation between imagery spanning time that is mysterious and imaginative. Some of the sequencing and layout choices really blew me away.
With a simple concept, Gill reveals the vibrancy of birdlife as it has never been seen before. These wonderful pictures made me feel as though I was allowed into a hidden world not meant for human eyes. I know I said I didn't want to designate "best" but I think this is might be the year's best, at least its most memorable.
Bryan Schutmaat is a photographer from Texas, and one of the guys in charge over at Trespasser Books, who put out some pretty good stuff this year. Did you know Bryan has a wikipedia page? yup!
