In this class, we’ll look at the photobook as an artistic medium in itself, rather than simply a format for presenting photographs. You’ll work toward creating a concept of a photobook as an object, moving beyond conventional formats to consider how a book’s physical qualities – its size, structure, materials, and rhythm – can contribute to its meaning. 

Through discussion, practical exercises, and experimentation, and the exploration of unconventional structures and alternative materials, you’ll be using your own photographic project to work towards a simple handmade dummy. You’ll develop an individual concept for a photobook by experimenting with different formats and approaches to sequencing, pacing, repetition, juxtaposition, and the use of empty space — as well as exploring how the physical structure of a book can shape the reading and interpretation of images.

This course is for photographers and visual artists who have a body of work — an existing one or something in progress — that they would like to explore through the medium of the book. By the end of the class, you should have an individual book concept and a handmade dummy that can serve as a foundation for further work.