Cory ARCANGEL, Photoshop Gradients

The first time I saw a Gradient print by Cory Arcangel was in 2009, during the Frieze Art Fair, on Max Wigram Gallery’s stand. And like many people, I found it extremely beautiful. An even larger example made a similar impact during the Younger than Jesus show in NY New Museum.
As I was already interested in Arcangel’s work (the videogame hacking pieces for instance), I wanted to know more and browsed the Internet blogs for comments or explanations, to find that these Gradient prints did not let people untouched, some claiming that it was pure genius, other stating it was crap. So what is it exactly ?

Gradient prints are easy: yes, everybody could do it in a few minutes. These images are made with Photoshop, using a straightforward treatment. This is exactly the point: technology is making it easier and easier, there is no pain associated with the creative process. To make it even clearer, the title gives the exact Photoshop filter used to create the image. In a way, Arcangel refuses to be an author, in the (almost romantic) sense of the term.

Gradient prints are beautiful: that seems to be a problem to some critics. Beauty is now suspicious, which here again is at the root of the idea. Cory Arcangel works are usually accessible, enjoyable. Technology can be a happy place. On the other hand, there is a satirical note: a simple Photoshop filter can make almost as good a job as many contemporary artists.

Gradient prints are big: this is perhaps the trickiest point. They’re big, so they can sell for big numbers, one could say. It is true that Arcangel’s Gradient prints are perfect trophy objects for the art market, all unique, big and scarce: which leads to the question, is this cynical ? In interviews, Arcangel states that he decided to begin the work when he saw the staggering quality of large digital prints, something which was unachievable a few years ago. The idea was to be use the full power of technology.

Those in Paris can probably make themselves a better opinion. Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery in Paris currently hosts a solo show by NY based artist Cory Arcangel (the show coincides with another solo exhibition in Berlin’s Hamburger Bahnhof), with four Gradient prints. And yes, they’re beautiful.

Illustration: Cory Arcangel, Photoshop CS: 84 by 66 inches, 300 DPI, RGB, square pixels, default gradient Blue, Red, Yellow, mousedown y=22100 x=14050, mouseup y=19700 x=1800, 2010
Unique C-print — Courtesy Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris/Salzburg

Clement RODZIELSKI, Cut Magazines

By cutting out parts of fashion magazines to create abstract compositions, the young French artist Clement Rodzielski reveals the way our clichés of comfort, beauty and dream are pervasively anchored in our readers’ minds. No information here – the titles and texts have been removed – except for bits of images from articles and advertisements. The most illustrative of these images are often views of wild nature, or decorated interiors, two fields that are now commonly associated with well-being. All this, of course, is (voluntarily) all the more fake than it is beautiful.

For those who can, some of Rodzielski’s cut magazines will be shown at Chantal Crousel booth during Artissima Fair.

Images: courtesy the artist.

Mohamed BOUROUISSA, Périphériques

I usually keep a bias towards cautiousness when considering the work of “hot new artists”. A few years, a real buzz surrounded Mohamed Bourouissa, a young photographer born in Algeria and living in France. He received the Voies Off prize at Rencontres d’Arles, and among other things, exhibited some of his “Périphériques” images in the “Younger than Jesus” New Museum show. What a start for an artist who just graduated from Paris’ Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs.
What is it about ? Briefly described, staged snapshots of street scenes in Paris suburbs, striking and beautiful at the same time. The influences are numerous, including of course Jeff Wall. At first impression, I was afraid of being manipulated: struck by no more than clichés of violent suburb areas.

Some time has passed by, and I would now more relate the Periphériques series to Paul Graham’s American night, which is a compliment in my mind. The work is more political than it may first appear to be. Bourouissa is voluntarily playing with social clichés of violence and minorities. People would have probably been waiting for a Nan Goldin type of photographer, with guts and instant snapshots. On the contrary, Bourouissa takes his time, precisely detailing his stages, and borrows his visual compositions from (now) traditional painters, such as Caravagio.
This political stance is even more obvious in his more recent work “Temps mort”, exhibited at Kamel Mennour Gallery. Bourouissa asked jailed acquaintances to take pictures in prison, here again following a precise mandate. Behind the prints, hidden to the view, the artist has inscribed SMS texts, his only link with his characters.

Images courtesy the artist & Mennour Gallery

Oliver SIEBER, Imaginary Club 2 & J_Subs

So far, I had mainly known Olivier Sieber's work from an Internet point of view, for instance through the Bohm/Kobayashi website, an independent publishing project Sieber co-founded with fellow artist Katja Stuke. In a few weeks time, however, I got the opportunity to have a look at several Bohm/Kobayashi books, two of them striking me as outstanding achievements: J_Subs, and Imaginary Club 2. Both are exquisitely printed, and elegantly designed. Full page illustrations, with vibrant yet cold colors, are the most beautiful I’ve seen in a while.

In his Imaginary Club series, Oliver Sieber focuses on people in search for their identity - and I would precise visual identity – whether they are punks, gothic or cosplayers among other marginal groups. The photographer has visited concerts and clubs (hence the title), places where he could find those extraordinary faces. The portraits are shot in a rather traditional composition, that could remind of Italian Renaissance portraits.
The same spirit goes on in J_Subs, though exclusively focused on Japanese characters, punks, rockabillys and psychobillys. The exploration of specific and marginal subcultures once again serves as an opportunity to engage into a visual investigation of contemporary identity.

SANAA & Walter NIEDERMAYR

In May, Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, a duo of architects known as SANAA, received the Pritzker Prize for architecture; which gives me the opportunity to focus on a long-term collaboration between Walter Niedermayr and SANAA. In a way that is quite reminiscent of the relationship between Thomas Ruff and Herzog&Meuron, Niedermayr has been working closely with the Japanese architects, in order to document SANAA’s projects, such as the Glass Pavilion in Toledo, the Moriyama House in Tokyo, or more recently, the New Museum in NY.
The collaboration works perfectly: the pale, almost abstract light that characterizes many of Nierdermayr’s images fits well with SANAA’s minimal buildings, that often play with transparency. It also gives a broader view of the Italian photographer’s talent, who got first known for his man-altered alpine landscapes.

Some of these pictures can be found in a book published in 2007 by Hatje Cantz. For those who make the trip to Copenhagen, the Danish Architecture Centre exhibits a selection of these photographs, until October 1st.

Christopher WOOL, Absent without leave

How to define artistic influence ? Let’s take for instance a book published by Christopher Wool in 1993, titled “Absent without leave”. I can’t be sure today’s artists have seen it, or even heard of it. But its content – black and white photocopied photographs of European urban landscapes – resonates with many recent works, focused on the status of images after their alteration. Namely, RH Quaytman, Wade Guyton, Nathan Hylden, and countless others.
Christopher Wool is more well known for his canvases, such as the word paintings. His photo work has less been exhibited, and seems totally out of the scope of the art market. But the way Wool xeroxed the prints, then printing them in offset, in a repetitive yet imperfect manner, fits well with many contemporary strategies in the art world. What is more, “Absent without leave” enjoys an interesting book design. The pages paper and binding yield with an impression of both density and fragility. Its aesthetics pre-announces the return to the very direct and simple style of many publications of our time (Nieves for example), with at least a ten years advance.
For all these reasons, as an answer to the initial question, the book may well become a “classic”, exerting influence for some time again.

April in NY, Photographs auctions

NY will host a new round of art auctions, focused on Photography, held at Christies, Sothebys and Philips de Pury. They will represent an interesting test for the photo market, in a time when art collectors seem to look for “unique” pieces, not editions (I will try to come back to this point later).
Here is a small selection of lots:

Sothebys, April 13
EDWARD BURTYNSKY
'VERMONT MARBLE COMPANY #5, ABANDONED GRANITE SECTION, ROCHESTER, VERMONT'
large-format chromogenic print, mounted, mounted again to foamcore, framed, a title/edition label, signed in ink, on the reverse, 1991, printed in 2001, no. 1 in an edition of 7 (Quarries, p. 69)
12,000—18,000 USD
A real test after strong results for Burtynsky’s prints last autumn
Sothebys, April 13
PHILIP-LORCA DICORCIA
LONDON
chromogenic print, mounted, signed in pencil on the reverse, overmatted, framed, 1995, one in an edition of 15
10,000—15,000 USD
One of the nicest images of the “Streetwork” series

Christies, April 15
JOHN COPLANS (1920-2003)
Self Portrait (Clenched Fist over Thumb), 1988
gelatin silver print
signed, titled, dated, numbered '2/12' in pencil and copyright credit reproduction limitation stamp (on the reverse of the mount)
$4,000 - $6,000
Coplans’ work seems underestimated, at least by the art market.

Christies, April 15
DAIDO MORIYAMA (B. 1938)
Untitled (Lips), 2007
photosilkscreen on canvas
signed in ink, printed credit, title, date and number '1/1' on a Certificate of Authenticity affixed (on the frame backing)
$8,000 - $12,000
This image was the cover of Moriyama’s Fondation Cartier show. Could beat the estimate.

Images courtesy the artists, Christies, Sothebys

Cyprien GAILLARD, Working in a State of Emergency

In 2007, Cyprien Gaillard, a young French artist, went to Glasgow to take photographs of housing projects and graves that were to be destroyed (the buildings) or restored (the graves). The series, titled “Working in a State of Emergency” evokes an archeological process. The printing and framing of the images goes on with this metaphor: the C-Prints are given a sepia note, while the photographs are place under several layers of matte boards, as if they had been buried and re-discovered many years later.
Photography here retains its first role: keeping trace of a vanishing subject. Thanks to Cyprien Gaillard, these buildings that are not allowed to become ruins (as Hubert Robert’s paintings are full of), are given a lasting mausoleum.

Jonathan MONK, Billboard Project #1

For fan of conceptual artist’s books (and only for them ?), Three Star Books has just published the last book effort by Jonathan Monk. The Billboard Project is just what its title say, but in a brilliant way: Monk photographed, or more precisely had somebody photograph a 4x3m billboard he designed to be the colophon of the future book. Symmetrically, the internal pages of this book are actually sliced cuts of the billboard (the visual result being a mix of Martin Kippenberger’s Old Vienna Posters and Giovanni Anselmo’s Leggere).

Each detail has been thought over. For instance, every person involved in the production has been mentioned in the colophon. And the price of the book, published in only 40 copies, is the one given by the advertisement for a digital camera, visible at the left of the billboard: 599 EUR.

Paul Graham: why the art world simply does not get photography

A friend of mine (thanks Yannick !) recently forwarded me a link towards Paul Graham website. In a presentation during the MOMA photography forum, the British artist expressed an interesting point of view on why photography “for and of itself” (as opposed to photography deployed as an artistic strategy by more conceptual artists) is often overlooked by contemporary art curators and dealers.

From Paul Graham’s words: “The broader art world has no problems with the work of Jeff Wall, or Cindy Sherman or James Casebere or Thomas Demand partly because the creative process in the work is clear and plain to see, and it can be easily articulated and understood what the artist did: Thomas Demand constructs his elaborate sculptural creations over many weeks before photographing them; Cindy Sherman develops, acts and performs in her self-portraits. In each case the handiwork of the artist is readily apparent: something was synthesized, staged, constructed or performed. The dealer can explain this to the client, the curator to the public, the art writer to their readers, etc. The problem is that whilst you can discuss what Jeff Wall did in an elaborately staged street tableaux, how do you explain what Garry Winogrand did on a real New York street when he ‘just’ took the picture ?”.

Walead BESHTY, Folds, Curls, Loops

It remains a mystery to me: how come that artists from different countries, different experience, suddenly embrace the same direction ? These past years have for instance seen the rebirth of abstract photography (the initial “birth” going back to Man Ray or Moholy-Nagy photogramms). By abstract photography, I refer to images taken without camera, and more the result of dark room experiences.
More recently, one of the most decisive endeavours in that field came from LA based artist Walead Beshty. Some of his series apply to a larger scale the avant-garde techniques of “sans-camera” imagery. The process yields with sometimes very large pieces (more than 2 meters long), full with colours and linear composition. I couldn’t see the MOMA Young Photography show, to which Beshty participated, but took the opportunity to see gallery shows, at Thomas Dane and Thaddaeus Ropac. Internet pictures can only account for a small part of the visual impact of these abstract images. Most notably, the prints still keep trace of the artist’s folding process, so that there is a physical presence to it, a mix of good looks and imperfect texture. In brief words, Beshty photographs are overwhelmingly beautiful, and still, very modern.

N-B: Those in NY will be able to see some more works, in the upcoming “Haunted” photography exhibition at the Guggenheim museum.

Image courtesy Ropac Gallery and the artist

Philip-Lorca DiCorcia Polaroids

At the Armory Show, David Zwirner Gallery stand drew much attention. The NY dealer had a solo show on Philip-Lorca diCorcia Polaroids. The 100 images belonged to different series, from the Hustler early works to more recent ones, like the Pole dancers. With an asking price of 4000$, it was seen by many collectors as a good opportunity to acquire a unique piece by a great photographer.

But more importantly, it offered a fantastic view on DiCorcia’s creative process. The Hustler Polaroids, for instance, are quite revealing. They can be seen as sketches, took by the photographer before the final shot, in the way portrait painters often use drawings to arrange their composition. The real surprise comes from the fact that they stand as works on their own. In front of large Hustler prints, indeed, I thought these images needed more intimacy. This is exactly what the Polaroids provide us with.

Images courtesy David Zwirner Gallery & the artist

Juergen Teller, Self Service

I’m not a huge fan of limited editions. Simply adding a signed print to a book, even with a slipcase, does not add much to an artist’s book quality. Often, it is simply a non-creative way to feed an exclusive collectible market. There are a few exceptions to that rule however.
Juergen Teller’s Self Service #31 limited edition is one of them. This biannual fashion magazine celebrated Teller’s work with this hardcover special release of the magazine, signed and numbered by the artist, where all pages that were initially not referring to Teller’s images have been left blank. The result is a book with a true “artist book” feeling, mostly white, with different paper qualities. And of course, the book comes with a signed C-Print, actually a nice one (I sometimes think that photographers choose minor images for limited editions…), very typical of Juergen Teller “white flash” light.
At a moderate price tag of 160 EUR, it's a wonderful addition.

“Riley and his story” vs “Why Mister Why”

What’s the difference between a witness and a photojournalist ?

Two of the most interesting war photography books of these past years, “Riley and his story” and “Why Mister why” both deal with Iraq. They both share a rough approach to book design (Why Mister why is printed on magazine stock for instance), perhaps a way to get the closest possible to field reality: harsh, ugly.

The main difference lies in the photographer’s eye. While Geert Van Kesteren was a journalist embedded with US troops, Riley Sharbonno was part of these troops. More precisely, Riley was part of the medical staff at Abu Ghraib facilities. This unique point of view yields with striking images, non professional ones, sometimes naïve, sometimes unbearable. Flipping through the book is a true experience, which makes “Riley and his story” a must read.

February in London, contemporary art auctions

Next week, London will see a new round of contemporary art auctions. As in 2009, there are fewer lots, with a focus on quality. In a dream world, here are a few lots I would happily bid on:

At Philips de Pury:

WOLFGANG TILLMANS

(Untitled) Las Vegas, 2000

Cibachrome print in the artist's frame. 171.5 × 145.1 cm (67 1/2 × 57 1/8 in). Signed 'Wolfgang Tillmans' and numbered of one on the reverse. This work is from an edition of one plus an artist's proof.

30.000£-40.000£

In my view, this Tillmans image ranks amongst his best works. It was the cover image of the “View from above” book. Philips de Pury’s catalog says it well: “The beautiful urban nightscape is broken up by a series of gleaming lines and marks spread across the picture’s surface like the slashing, gestural brushstrokes of an abstract painter.”

At Christies:

Peter FISCHLI & David WEISS

Airport (Paris Air France)

signed and dated '2000 Fischli David Weiss' (on the backing board)

Cibachrome print. 60 x 83 5/8in. (152.4 x 212.4cm.)

Executed in 2000, this work is number three from an edition of six

18.000£-22.000£

Fischli&Weiss Airport Series is one of my favourite body of works (and an excellent book, too). This will sound odd, but the print is rather cheaply priced here. There is room for surprise on the upside, though this particular image could be judged a little bit too dark.

At Christies:

WADE GUYTON

Untitled, executed in 2005.

EPSON ULTRACHROME INKJET ON LINEN

30 7/8 X 24 7/8in. (78.5 X 63cm.)

20.000£-30.000£

Christies will auction three works by Wade Guyton. I will get a close look at results, as Wade Guyton works are very scarce both on the primary and secondary markets. This “painting”, most notably, is typical of Guyton’s inkjet works.

Thomas Ruff "Haüser" Portfolio

Collecting Thomas Ruff's work is both easy and complex.
Easy, because it is rather difficult to make a mistake, as almost ALL his series are interesting. I read it as a sign that Thomas Ruff is making history. Interiors, Porträts, Hauser, Sterne, Nacht, LMVDR, Jpegs…Even some Nudes images (the ones with immediate impact, and thus the ones that appear more frequently at auctions) deserve attention.
On the other hand, collecting Ruff’s work is very complex. Unless you are a Russian billionaire with unlimited purchasing power, you have to make difficult choices. At a first glance, some series are very different one from another. How to choose between a 1980’s “Portrat” and a 2000’s Jpeg ? Apart from the obvious “subjective” factor, historical significance enters into play.

After several years of wandering through Thomas Ruff’s work, I happen to be more oriented towards his architecture images. They are a recurring theme, as seen in the Hauser series, the LMVDR, some pictures for Herzog & Meuron (the book published in 1994 is a must have) and part of the Jpeg series. And they make full use of Ruff’s image treatment techniques.
Going back to the roots, hence, the Hauser Portfolio released by Schellman Edition in 1989 is a seminal work. The 5 Dye-Transfer prints depict urban landscapes, focused on a house or a building, with so simple an approach that the images come close to abstraction. During a long discussion on Ruff’s work, an art dealer once advised me to have a close look at this Hauser series, as it was the first one where the artist modified images afterwards, in order to rub out some visual interferences. If true, this work announces much of other “image editing” series, such as the LMVDR, the Nudes and Jpegs.

Robert Heinecken : He/She (Not to be confused with Richard Prince)

Here is a book published in 1980, by an artist obsessed with sexual imagery, keen on playing with stereotypes, and less interested in pictures than in the context through which we receive them. And no, this artist is not Richard Prince, but the late Robert Heinecken.
He/She provides with a very good entry point into Heinecken’s work. The spiral-bound book (designed with a homemade quality) features Polaroid prints, illustrating male/female stereotypes, and hand written short dialogues between “He” and “She”. These two characters talk about somehow explicit matters, such as kisses or lovers’ smell. Heinecken’s work has sometimes been described as misogynist. “He/She”, for instance, dismisses the idea that genre differences could simply ignored, in opposition to some feminist ideas.

I can’t help comparing this book to Richard Prince’s Girlfriends series, in which images focus on “biker chicks”, as they appear in motorcycle magazines. Both artists’ works (in my view) are not demeaning to women, but on the contrary, criticize their reduction to sexual objects. “He/She” is typical of this ambiguousness.

West looks East : The incomplete picture

In the 70’s, many of the great photo works were shot in the United States. William Eggleston, Lewis Baltz, Robert Adams, Stephen Shore, Lee Friedlander travelled around, documenting the transformation of America’s urban landscape.
Recently (perhaps a sign of a long term shift in the balance of power), Asia has become a major playing field for photographers. There is no shortage of interesting series on the subject: Peter Bialobrzeski’s NeonTigers (with images shot as early as 2000, before the craze), Olivo Barbieri’s Notsofareast, Ed Burtynsky’s China, Nadav Kander’s Long River (Pictet Prize winner), Wassink&Lundgren’s Empty Bottles, Michael Wolf’s Architecture of Density.
Some are pure urban landscapes. In Neontigers, Bialobrzeski manages to show the mixture of traditional and contemporary patterns. Some also hint at social evolution. In Empty Bottles, Wassink&Lundgren show the flip side of China’s prosperity; while Burtynsky goes into mass production factories. All in all, they give a pretty good view of the deep changes experienced in Asia.

In all these works, however, West looks East. What about asian view on Asia, Chinese view on China ? I quite liked Sze Tsung Leong’s “History Images”, published by Steidl. But his author was born in Mexico and lives In New-York. That may be why my western eye found beauty in these objective urban landscapes.
Liu Heung Shing ranks among of the most famous Chinese photographers, but his images of “China after Mao” are too journalistic for my taste. I also had a look at Liu Zheng and Liu Xiaodong, without being struck.
Until now, the only work that really caught my attention is Zeng Li’s “China Chronicle”. The author has worked with film maker Zhang Yimou as stage designer, but in interviews, he states his “true love is photography”. Obviously, these feelings are shared : the oversize book, published in 2006, gives a powerful view of the changes impacting China’s architectural landscapes.

Of course, the list is incomplete. Please do not hesitate to leave a comment should you be aware of interesting works on China or Asia by local artists. It is more than probable that a significant part of these names still remains unknown to us.

John Baldessari - Throwing Three balls in the Air to get a Straight Line

At the Tate Modern, in one of the many rooms of Baldessari's "Pure Beauty" retrospective, visitors could have a look at a selection of the artist's most creative books. Along with Ingres and Other Parables, Fable or Brutus killed Caesar, a copy of "Throwing Three Balls..." was on display.

This is a trend: more and more, contemporary art exhibitions include book sections - for instance, Ed Ruscha or Martin Parr at Paris Jeu de Paume (two outstanding book makers and/or book lovers). For some artists, indeed, books are an essential part of the work. More recently, even group exhibitions, such as "Elles" at Centre Pompidou, joined the trend.

I was glad to see Tate curators didn't overlook Baldessari's books. "Throwing Three Balls" is very typical of the artist's very personal method of applying concepts, in a playful way. The 14 plates included in the portfolio, published in 1973, are the "best of thirty-six attempts". Yet, all of them are imperfect. We are not in Carl Andre's or Sol Lewitt's linear world. Here, orange balls absurdly fly high in the sky, with no other purpose than the "pure beauty" of the gesture.

When I began collecting artists's books, some time ago now, "Throwing Three Balls" was virtually unfindable, with a cult status. Fortunately, an Italian bookseller uncovered several dozens copies, that quickly sold on eBay or Abebooks. Now, the book is getting scarce again. The window wasn't open for a long time.

A few thoughts on Paris Photo 2009 (with some delay)

This Paris Photo Fair was the 10th edition I could attend. It is always a pleasure (when possible, I even take a day off to get a broad and quiet view). Here are a few thoughts or comments on this specific edition :

The scope. In 2010, what is a Photo Fair without images by Wolfgang Tillmans, Philip Lorca Dicorcia or Thomas Ruff (except for the illustrated book shown at Toluca Booth) ? The absence of some of these cutting edge photographers poses a challenge. To a lower extent, one could also regret the fact that conceptual artists using photography among other media (Olafur Eliasson, Roni Horn, Rodney Graham, etc) are not featured here. Of course, the reason lies on the art market structure. These artists are represented by contemporary art galleries. And their images can sometimes be seen at Frieze, Fiac or Basel.

The bargain. A Japanese gallery stand sold Taiji Matsue unique prints, details of black&white landscapes, for 50 euros. For those who own one of the two corresponding Matsue books (including the Hysteric one), it made a wonderful addition.

The worst stand. Pieter Hugo’s Nollywood exhibition at Michael Stevenson gallery. Extra Large printing size and delicate framing seemed totally inadequate to these harsh images. Commercial recipes of the German Photography School can’t be applied to all photographic works.

The repetition. Each year, visitors can have a look at new Massimo Vitali beach landscapes. These Diasec prints are always gorgeous. But it is getting difficult to understand Vitali’s artistic project. As long as clients subscribe each year…

The positive surprise. Before arriving at Toni Tapies Gallery stand, I had never seen large Burtynsky prints. The Australia mines images exhibited there were simply beautiful. Days later, I saw Quarries prints at the Pictet Prize exhibit in Passage de Retz, in Paris. Some may find Burtynsky’s work too “easy” and trendy, but the fact that he built a coherent ensemble since the 80’s, when environmental issues were not a priority, makes it truly significant.

The books. One of my favourite features of Paris photo is the presence of many specialized booksellers. Except for Ken Ohara’s One first edition (a book I had been searching for a long time), no major purchases this year. As a bronze donator for Rob Hornstra’s Sotchi Project, I also took my copy of Sanatorium, his last publication.

10 Books of the decade

Let's start this blog with a dangerous endeavor. An impossible one. Which books, published between 2000 and 2010, will eventually pass the test of time ? Not the best ones (on which criteria ?), but the most influential ones. Here is a list, of course subjective :

Paul Graham, Shimmer of Possibility
The 12 books set, published by SteidlMACK, will probably appear as a seminal work. Paul Graham here introduces a new form of photography, a narrative one, inspired by Chekhov short stories.

Luc Delahaye, History

Published by Chris Boot, this edition was limited to 100 copies. Good thing for collectors, but the work itself deserves a wider audience. Those who have seen the exhibition at Paris Maison Rouge were struck by Delahaye's ambiguous aesthetics. Is this documentary, is this art, can we do both without betraying the reality ?

David Goldblatt, Particulars
Goldblatt is widely known for his South African landscapes images. Particulars is a more muted work, truly universal. What is more, the book is exquisitely printed.

Wim Delvoye Sexrays

Artist's books had a difficult decade, especially when compared to the 70's. Initially designed to be a gallery catalogue, Sexrays stands out as a wonderful book object, bold and luxurious.

Bettina Rheims, Book of olga

Book lovers will probably underestimate this Taschen book. But Rheims' Olga, focusing only on a Russian billionaire's wife, with total freedom, will in the end be considered as the perfect symbol of a pre-crisis, bygone era.

Terry Richardson Kibosh

Here is a forecast: Kibosh will be a cult book. Richardson himself says that the book is the achievement of a lifetime. There are many other Richardson books (the Hysteric one, and Manimal, inspired by Abu Ghraib), but Kibosh is a "concentré" of his style.

Rinko Kawauchi, Aila

Kawauchi's work is sometimes viewed as too sentimental, simple, lyrical. This is exactly why Aila is a great book. Here the photographer focuses on simple things, all linked to a certain form of life. Looking at some images' association proves that the work is much more complex than previously thought.

Mitch Epstein, Family Business

This books is not a photobook. It is a novel, a deep, moving one. Epstein chronicles the bankruptcy of his father's business. The american flag hung against on a wall tells it all...

Juergen Teller, Marc Jacobs Advertising

This book is an awkward object. Too heavy, with a fragile binding. But it clearly shows how Juergen Teller has managed to create a visual style that will associated to the early 2000 years.

Ryan McGinley, Moonmilk
Hype people often love Ryan McGinley's work. Snob people hate it. In the end, Moonmilk is much more than a hype work. McGinley's fantasy world can be melancholic and, in every sense of the term, deep.