Best Books 2015
Best Books 2015
Erik Kessels
2015 Best Books picks from Erik Kessels.
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By Jochen Lempert
Walther Koenig
Lempert is to me one of the most interesting photographers in Europe at the moment. You can really feel his background as a biologist in his work. His approach to composition and use of textures is breathtaking. His work is very natural but also manages to create a new, previously unseen aesthetic.
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Be Bold with Bananas*
Edited by Martin Parr
Salon Verlag
It’s about time to mention a nice book by a photographer who normally only nominates other photographer’s books. Be Bold with Bananas is a reprinted edition and re-appropriated cookbook from the 80s. You have to be a little silly and a little naughty to put your name on a book like this. Apart from the fact that the book holds wonderful images, I really appreciate how Parr keeps on trying to broaden the horizons of the photography world.
*This title is out-of-print. Email us to be notified if copies become available.
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By Mariela Sancari
La Fabrica
The project Moisés by Mariela Sancari was sparked by her father’s death; specifically that she was not allowed to see his body. To find closure, Mariela placed a classified ad featuring an old portrait of her father. She asked men of her dad’s age to study the image and contact her should they see a resemblance. The photographs Sancari collected of these men resulted in a touching and fantastically edited book.
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By Annegien van Doorn
FW: Books
It’s not surprising that the cover of Annegien van Doorn’s first book is made from the silver lining of a milk bottle. As a photographer, she uses anything and everything to create sculptural images; sculptures that she has found, created or imagined. van Doorn’s work is proof that she is undoubtedly one of Holland’s new raw talents.
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By Tomoko Sawada
RVB Books
Recruit is the latest book in a series by Sawada. She often re-imagines herself as a stereotypical Japanese girl. In this case she’s managed to achieve this in an almost subliminal way. The book shows multiple series in which Sawada is wearing either a dark blue, dark grey or a black blazer. In each image she wears the same neutral facial expression.
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By Kurt Caviezel
Rorhof
For lovers of artists who re-appropriate images from Internet, this title is an absolute must-have. Caviezel is the king of appropriating and exploiting (in a good way) webcam images. The book showcases his extensive and hilarious collection.
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By Vicente Paredes
This Book is True
This is an intriguing book that combines two stereotypical realities of an African country. Paredes depicts the wealthy upper classes of Congo riding small horses and creates confronting contrasts with images of the smiling poor from this part of Africa.
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By Mariken Wessels
Art Paper Editions
This oversized publication plays with truth and fiction in vernacular photography. It is that rare kind of book that leaves you puzzled and fascinated even after having looked at it for a long time. There should be more photobooks like this, that make you uncomfortable but still keep you engaged.
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By Alessandro Calabrese
Skinnerbox
This is the latest book by the talented Milan based photographer and editor Allessandro Calabrese. His inspiration for this book was his numerous visits to junkyards with old cars. In one of the cars he found an album entitled Die Deutsche Punkinvasion. The book is an exciting fusion between a wrecked car and a generation trying to wreck the society they were living in.
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By Lucas Blalock
SPBH Editions
Maybe the most unnecessary photobook of 2015, at the same time this is exactly what makes it so wonderful. The concept is simple: Blalock creates numerous photographic compositions with sausages. The end result is an entertaining combination of playfulness and plain nonsense. Andy Warhol would have wished it was his name on the cover.
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Erik Kessels is a Dutch artist, designer and curator with great interest in photography. Since 1996 he has been Creative Director of communications agency KesselsKramer in Amsterdam and works for national and international clients.
As an artist and photography collector, Kessels has published several books of his 'collected' images like
In almost every picture and
Useful Photography. Kessels made and curated exhibitions such as
24HRS of Photos,
Album Beauty and
Unfinished Father.
In 2010 Kessels was awarded with the Amsterdam Prize of the Arts and and is often seen as the most influential creative of The Netherlands.
www.kesselskramer.com
www.kesselskramerpublishing.com
www.kkoutlet.com
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