Spleen and Ideal by Tiane Doan Na Champassak from Morel Books
Tiane Doan Na Champassak’s
Spleen and Ideal is an exploration of concepts of gender and sexuality as experienced in Thailand. Mixing seductive portraits with contextual images of palm trees, overpasses and signs of popular Thai go-go clubs with names like Super Pussy and Kitten Club, the beautiful images give entrance to an intimate world dreamy world. The subjects of Champassak’s photographs at first appear uniform – perhaps even the same woman – but as the series progresses it becomes apparent that the lithe creatures we are looking at are a variety of sitters, at least some of whom weren’t born women. Shot on instant film with the inconsistencies of the medium used to full benefit, the photographs evoke both a feeling of decay and distance, as if we are looking at the sitters through the yellow-green water of a lagoon -- an exotic other sex, just out of reach.
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Stand By from Sputnik Photos
Stand By is one of the best examples of the strengths of a collective showcasing a collective’s ability to take on a huge project with consideration to its multifaceted implications by approaching it from a variety of angles. An investigation into Belarus national identity, seven photographers look into reasons why Belarus is called “the last dictatorship in Europe.”
“This collection has so many good qualities; it is an excellent source of factual history, of style, of superb examples for how to frame a photograph…
Stand By is far and away the best single anthology of photography I have encountered in years. It is focused and professionally polished, topical and searching. The Sputnik Photo Collective seems at a point in their career where they are beyond doubt, beyond reproach and at the crossroads of entering the everlasting history of art.” – Christopher J. Johnson
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A Partial Eclipse by Martin Boyce from MACK
Martin Boyce’s
A Partial Eclipse is a delicate and atmospheric collection of photographs framed by the story of a lost camera, though the photographs themselves do not so much create a narrative as a sense of mood and space. Notable for their strange grey overcast tones, a dim and familiar type of light that is psychologically evocative,
A Partial Eclipse is yet another gorgeous MACK production.
“Although not overtly lavish in size or scope, it is worth noting the extraordinary reproductions in the book. Printed on a double-sided paper, the small glossy photographs resemble fine inkjet prints or Cibachromes. The subtle dark tones of the images are handled beautifully and allow the viewer to peer deeply into the shadows… There aren't a lot of photographs, but the stunning reproductions command attention and close scrutiny. Initially unassuming, the book is a beautiful object.” – Adam Bell
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