Issue #7885: The Pleasure Principle

In our July issue, we take a step away from finding meaning in the work we feature, instead reminding ourselves of the sense of play and pleasure that is at the heart of why photographers do what they do.

Once an aspiring marine biologist, self-taught photographer Jack Davison has come a long way since his lauded debut series, 26 States. Now a frequent collaborator of The New York Times Magazine, among many others, Davison looks back on his career so far, collecting some of his most memorable portraits in his new book, Photographs.

This month, as the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris prepares for a large three-part retrospective of Henry Wessel’s oeuvre, Gerry Badger pays tribute to the late photographer’s life’s work.

Out of sheer curiosity and bemusement, Aaron Schuman found himself enthralled by the mundane reports found in a local newspaper in New England. Yet as his archive grew, he discovered that not all is as it first might have seemed. In this month’s issue, the photographer shares the humour and poetic influences behind his latest work.

Maisie Cousins picks and pairs her favourite images from her last three bodies of work for a new book, with which she hopes to close the chapter on the garish visuals she is known for, as she moves into a new and exciting phase in her personal life.

“I got pigeonholed as a sex photographer, and I am sure some doors closed because of that – but many others opened,” says Del LaGrace Volcano, our Any Answers this month. Plus, in Agenda, we ask curator Susan Bright about this year’s programme at PhotoEspaña, and we speak to former BJP IPA winner, Felicity Hammond, about her latest book, Property.

Our Projects this month celebrate unforeseen beauty in our shared landscape – from a fiesta in Menorca, to the iconic Eiffel Tower, and the humble London bus route – and our Creative Brief asks Marta Roca, the creative director of Four&Sons, about commissioning work with a focus on our four-legged friends. Plus we bring you a comprehensive review of the new addition to the medium format market, the Fujifilm GFX 50R.

Subscribe today!

Marigold Warner

Deputy Editor

Marigold Warner worked as an editor at BJP between 2018 and 2023. She studied English Literature and History of Art at the University of Leeds, followed by an MA in Magazine Journalism from City, University of London. Her work has been published by titles including the Telegraph Magazine, Huck, Elephant, Gal-dem, The Face, Disegno, and the Architects Journal.