photo-eye was excited to receive notice from Aperture that Chris Boot, publisher of some of our favorite books, was just appointed to the position of Executive Director of Aperture. He will begin this position on January 2011. For years now, Aperture's publishing program has gained momentum and we were delighted with every title on their list. Boot's experience in publishing will assure that this exciting program will continue to produce quality books. More information about Aperture's selection of Boot can be found in the press release which we have shown below.
The Board of Trustees of the Aperture Foundation announced today that Chris Boot, a veteran in the field of photography, has been appointed Executive Director, Aperture Foundation.
Mr. Boot has had a long and distinguished career in photography and photobook publishing. He worked for Magnum Photos from 1990-98, including as Director of Magnum, London, and, later, Magnum, New York. Subsequently he held the position of Editorial Director at Phaidon Press from 1998 until 2000. In 2001, Mr. Boot started his own company Chris Boot Ltd., based in London to work on projects independently, producing exhibitions and publishing his own list of books. Over the past eight years he has published many acclaimed photobooks, ranging from contemporary titles that push the boundaries of the medium, to books that provide a fresh perspective on the history of photography.
The Chris Boot imprint includes two ICP Infinity Awards winners – Lodz Ghetto Album (2004) and Things as They Are: Photojournalism in Context Since 1955 (2005); the latter was copublished with Aperture. Other notable titles include History by Luc Delahaye, The World from My Front Porch by Larry Towell, Mexico and Parrworld by Martin Parr (both copublished with Aperture), Beaufort West by Mikhael Subotzky, We English by Simon Roberts, Georgian Spring: a Magnum Journal, and most recently Infidel by Tim Hetherington, Where Children Sleep by James Mollison and Maske by Phyllis Galembo. He is also the author and editor of Magnum Stories (Phaidon, 2004).
While at Phaidon Press, Mr. Boot initiated photography titles including Boring Postcards from the collection of Martin Parr, Robert Capa, the Definitive Collection by Richard Whelan, Outland by Roger Ballen, Snaps by Elliott Erwitt, Heaven and Earth, The Photo Book: A History by Martin Parr and Gerry Badger and the Phaidon 55 series including volumes on Nan Goldin, Boris Mikhailov, Mary Ellen Mark, Shomei Tomatsu, David Goldblatt, Chris Killip, André Kertesz, Dorothea Lange and W. Eugene Smith. From 1984 until joining Magnum Photos in 1990, Mr. Boot was Director of The Photo Co-op (since renamed Photofusion), London's leading independent photography resource and education centre.
Mr. Boot has a BA in Photography with Distinction from the Polytechnic of Central London, and a BA in English Literature with Honors from the Royal Holloway College, University of London.
“I’m delighted to welcome Chris Boot to Aperture,” says Celso Gonzalez-Falla, Chairman of the Board, Aperture. “His vast experience working in photography in a variety of positions, including as editor and publisher, and his passion for and knowledge of photography, makes him uniquely qualified to set Aperture’s course for the future as Aperture gears up to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2012.”
To view all Aperture and Chris Boot books at photo-eye.com, click on the publisher's name listed here.