Recap: Why Don’t Art Books Rate Review?

On Saturday, September 29, the NY Art Book Fair presented a panel discussion moderated by Lesley A. Martin, publisher of The PhotoBook Review, that featured Sharon Gallagher, president and publisher of ARTBOOK | D.A.P, and Alberto Mobilio, co-editor of Bookforum.

@aperturefnd: Is there an increased or different form of literacy associated the art book that hasn’t yet reached the mainstream?#photobooks —LAM

Viewers of the panel discussion

@aperturefnd: It’s a different thing to write review of a collection photos. How does one deal with visual material and objects, with non-textual content? —AM

The dearth of public commentary on photo- and art books and the scant attention paid to art writing can be disheartening. There’s a “Best American Writing on Mathematics” series but none for art? These two blindspots in mainstream cultural commentary were the topics under discussion on this panel.

Leaders of the panel discussion

@aperturefnd: “you wouldn’t expect to read a poetry review without a quotation from a poem…it’s very hard to quote when the quote is visual” —SG

@aperturefnd: We must distinguish between reviews as marketing events vs. reviews as in-depth analysis and discussion, critique. #photobooks

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