When I visited Photo London last month, surprisingly the event seemed quiet. This may have had more to do with the fact that it was a sunny Sunday morning; a rarity in this part of the northern hemisphere, even in May. I suspected that my fellow photo fans were either enjoying a blissful brunch on a terrace, or taking some much needed time out in nature. I enjoyed the lack of a crowd (only to be seen in the Pavilion area) and the opportunity to chat with the many international gallery owners and dealers present. While I loved seeing iconic photographs close up and in their original state, it was also refreshing to be reminded of the photo books that exist; some new, some re-issued. I was drawn to two books, both of which I bought. The first was a small Thames and Hudson collectible on Gordon Parks. He has long been one of my favourite photographers. In particular I admire how he used his art to straddle both fashion and social documentary photography; two very different and often conflicting worlds which rarely overlap. Revisiting some of his photographs, particularly his work for Life magazine on the Fontanelle family, I couldn’t help but admire his tenacious approach to the industry that he’d chosen. His answer to a young black student who asked him how he had managed to succeed in a white world: “If you think it’s a white world, you are already licked, because it’s your world too”
The second book was a publication put together by gallerist Peter Fetterman, who represents the likes of Sebastiao Salgado, among others. During the pandemic, he told me that he conceived and curated, in his opinion, a collection of some of the most important images in photography. Many are from his own vast collection. I was familiar with many of them, but there were some surprises and a few new finds. Fetterman’s career spans over 40 years and looking at the predominantly black and white photos reminded me of a time when photographic prints were truly authentic moments, without the digital additions of social media or video. I’m not sure whether I agree with all his choices, but it was fun to read the stories behind the images and to learn about his connections with the artists.
Finally, another project that caught my eye was by Ann Liu, the winner of the Photo London x Hahnemühle award. This was a collection of images shot with a hazy, dream-like aesthetic. These beautiful photographs felt like a meditation on aging, loss and love, all seen through the eyes of her 87 year old grandmother.