John Jenkins

Founder and Publisher, DECODE BOOKS

One Day.
HARVEY BENGE

A wonderful update on the "Day in the Life" series from years past. However this time we are presented with 10 photographer's personal visions, all shot on the summer solstice in 2010. Each photographer is given an individual book and all 10 books are slip cased together. It's wonderful fun to glimpse into these photographer's worlds (or what they choose to show us of their worlds).

Tooth for an Eye.
DEBORAH LUSTER

A luscious oversize book (14 x 17 inches - you may need a larger bookshelf) featuring Luster's photographs of historical and contemporary homicide sites in New Orleans. The exquisitely printed duotones show every detail and the photographs make you feel like you're traveling into the past.

Illuminance.
RINKO KAWAUCHI

A wonderful selection of Kawauchi's amazing photographs of everyday objects and moments. The photographs make you wonder what you've missed seeing in your day-to-day life. The Japanese binding adds to the overall experience with the work.

La Creciente.
ALEJANDRO CHASKIELBERG

It's exciting to experience a creative new body of work and Martin Parr shares his experience of discovering Chaskielberg's work in La Creciente. All shot during the night on the banks of the Parana river delta in Argentina, the images present a document of river life in surreal landscapes that continue to surprise.

The Unseen Eye.
W. M. HUNT

The Unseen Eye showcases Hunt's collection of photography amassed over thirty years. The variety of images is intriguing and all revolve around the idea of the subverted gaze. The most interesting aspect of The Unseen Eye is the pairing and sequencing of the images, along with the personal observations about the photographs by the collector.

Photographs.
PENELOPE UMBRICO

The bold and daring presentation of nine bodies of work by Penelope Umbrico starts with her Suns from Flickr and an explosion of color. Related texts are inserted between the bodies of work, reproduced as photographs of the books from which they came. An appendix in the back is on a different paper stock and presents background information, filling in the many questions raised by the work.

Diane Arbus.
ELISABETH SUSSMAN

While the texts in Diane Arbus: A Chronology originally appeared in Diane Arbus Revelations from a few years ago, this book presents them in an entirely different way. The design is understated and elegant while the format is small and intimate, leading to a personal experience reading about Diane Arbus' life.

On Thin Ice, in a Blizzard.
PAULA MCCARTNEY

On Thin Ice, In a Blizard presents a subseries of McCartney's project "A Field Guide to Snow and Ice." Even if you didn't know that all of the images were created in her darkroom and not photographs of actual landscapes, you wouldn't care. The book takes you on an adventurous journey through her imagination.

Retrieved.
CHARLOTTE DUMAS

I'm not usually attracted to photography books on animals, but Retrieved is different. Earlier this year Dumas photographed the search dogs used in the aftermath of 9/11. Now nearing the end of their lives, she has photographed the dogs with uncommon dignity. The paper selection and printing add to the visual tribute presented.

John Jenkins is founder and publisher of DECODE BOOKS. Based in Seattle, DECODE BOOKS publishes books specializing in contemporary photography. Recent releases include monographs for artists Kelli Connell, Suzanne Opton, Nealy Blau, Bill Jacobson, and Jesse Burke.

www.decodebooks.com

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