On the Front Lines of Art and Fashion

Photograph by Igor Pjörrt. Courtesy of Document

This spring, Aperture Foundation, in partnership with Document Journal, Calvin Klein, and Ford Models, welcomed applicants from around the world to submit their work to the New Vanguard Photography Prize. Having received the support of thirteen esteemed judges, including Aperture editor Michael Famighetti, and over 17,000 total public votes from around the world, Document is excited to announce the five finalists. Each finalist will get the chance to shoot a Document story, with one select winner receiving the chance to photograph a special cover of the Fall/Winter 2018 edition of Document Journal. The twenty-five semifinalists will be showcased in an exhibition at Aperture Foundation in October 2018.

Photograph by Quil Lemons. Courtesy of Document

Quil Lemons

American, based in New York
A student at The New School in New York, Lemon creates an expanding vision of what it means to be African American in America.

Photograph by Jan Philipzen. Courtesy of Document

Jan Philipzen

German, based in Antwerp
For the past three years, Philipzen has been working on an autobiographical project: raw, intimate images which capture the stories of the photographer’s close friends as well as the physicality and fragility of the photographic medium.

Photograph by Lucie Khahoutian. Courtesy of Document

Lucie Khahoutian

Armernian, based in Paris
Khahoutian’s work creates encounters between western contemporary culture and traditional Armenian references. Khahoutian tends to go back and forth between collage and photography to emphasize the magical and spiritual qualities in her work.

Photograph by Igor Pjörrt. Courtesy of Document

Igor Pjörrt

Portuguese, based in London
Pjörrt traverses the intersections of masculinity, intimacy, and temporality through his work. Pjörrt often takes inspiration from his own experiences of isolation and trauma, approaching photography as a tool of exploration as he seeks avenues of personal and collective healing.

Photograph by Ward Roberts. Courtesy of Document

Ward Roberts

Australian, based in the United States
Roberts’s images draw on themes like the effects of loneliness and isolation in the modern world, but he still maintains a fresh and engaging perspective. Roberts’s ornate style is often contradicted by life’s unscripted moments.

Photograph by Tahia Farhin Haque. Courtesy of Document

Special Reportage Prize: Tahia Farhin Haque

Bengali, based in Dhaka
Originally a biochemistry major, Haque switched her focus when she was awarded a full scholarship to photography school in Dhaka. Haque wants her work to shatter traditional stereotypes about women Islamic countries and bring their unique perspectives to the forefront.

The Jury

Nick Vogelson, Document
Sarah Richardson, Document
Olivier Rizzo, Stylist
Mario Sorrenti, Photographer
Doug Lloyd, Lloyd & Co.
Christopher Michael, Ford Models
Michael Famighetti, Aperture
Drew Sawyer, Brooklyn Museum
Lorna Simpson, Artist
Roxana Marcoci, The Museum of Modern Art
Candice Marks, Art Partner
Willy Vanderperre, Photographer
Peter Fitzpatrick, Swipecast