“There was Hiroshima, Nagasaki and the American occupation but also the uprising of students and farmers against the seizure of land for Narita Airport. It all unleashed the desire of the young generation to say that they had enough,” says Manfred Heiting as he introduces The Japanese Photobook. In a century of vast changes, from traditions to technology, empire to war, the photobook became an institution in its own right in Japan, documenting the history of the country as it happened.
Luke Richard’s project Under Black Sun reflects on the rise of far-right politics in contemporary Italy through the concept of the New Man – a form of idealised masculinity created by Mussolini during his reign as dictator, and propagated through various forms of meticulously controlled media. Appropriating the virile symbolism and values of Ancient Rome, the New Man model drew on Rome’s imperial history to whip up support for the New Italy that was to be delivered under a Fascist government – a pattern Richards believes resonates today.
“I have simply seen breastfeeding as an act of life and love that is not always an easy task, and that therefore is deserving of encouragement in its all dimensions, psychological, physical and social,” says Vincent Ferrané, whose photobook Milky Way is a testament to his wife and women everywhere as they begin their lives as mothers. The series focuses on breastfeeding, a natural act that can sometimes cause controversy when brought into the public sphere. Ferrané’s photobook hopes to move past that and reclaim the breast as an empowering part of the female body.
For its 15th birthday, North America’s leading photofestival takes on a new name. Momenta: Biennale de l’image is designed to denote a more studied approach than the previous Month of Photography identity and is entirely in keeping with the direction of the festival – in recent years, under the creative direction of artists, curators and academics including Joan Fontcuberta, Paul Wombell and Marie Frase, it has addressed themes such as the ‘post-photographic’ condition and the impact of automation in image-making. This year’s invited curator is Ami Barak, a French visual authority.
“The idea was why don’t we go back to the market and put these clothes back in their home, back where they came from,” says Britt Lloyd, a young fashion photographer from North London. Working in digital photography for Showstudio, Lloyd has recently collaborated with Martine Rose and Machine-A to shoot a captivating menswear range which speaks to the communities of Seven Sisters and North London. Lloyd’s bold series does not follow traditional stylings of the male fashion industry, which she believes needs to change quickly.
The chief picture editor of Libération between 1981 and 1986, Christian Caujoulle left to co-found Agence Vu’ and, a decade later, Galerie Vu’. He has curated and edited countless photofestivals, exhibitions, and books, and is associate professor at the ENS Louis Lumière school
Cats may have nine lives, but since curiosity killed the cat it’s probably a good thing. All these cats have been caught mid-jump, flying through the air by photographer Daniel Gebhart De Koekkoek. These seemingly acrobatic feats see our agile pets leaping across entire rooms, suspended before they come back down to earth. An entertaining series that taps into the popularity of the jumping photograph phenomenon.
With the IET International Engineering Photography Competition currently open for applications we caught up with photographer Daniel Stier to discuss the relationship between art and science.
FullBleed hear from photographers Gabriele Galimberti and Paolo Woods about the challenges of photographing different tax havens around the world.
Swedish organisation Fotografiska is to open a new centre for photography in London’s Whitechapel. The 89,000 sq ft lower ground space plus office, which is located near Whitechapel Gallery, is due to be completed in the second half of 2018, and has been rented by Fotografiska for 15 years (with a break option at 12 years).
