In early 2022, I began collaborating with book designer Mark Eimer of Kansas City to produce printed monographs of individual artists profiled in Cross Country Camera. These tabloid-sized books are spiral bound which allows for a panoramic field of view. This spread is a yard/meter-wide experience that can't be ignored. It's a real counterpoint to the way people consume photography on handheld screens and proves that print is still the undisputed champion for artistic communication. The books range from 34 to 38 pages each and are printed on demand by MagCloud of Seattle.
Mark's process is described in his own words: "I start by arranging photos that work well as a spread, keeping in mind the story and the groupings of images. I won’t always stick to a chronological order (based on the story) and sometimes I pair images from different groups. I want it to make sense for the viewer, but it’s as much about flow and composition as it is a linear story. I pull words and phrases from the artist’s own words for possible use as graphics, and decide where those work best. Sometimes those are literally represented in the photos (like the image of Juan Francisco Adaro's father paired with his words about family) and sometimes the copy just fits an image. I research typography specific to the artist’s background/culture and/or work. In Mr. Adaro’s case, I researched fonts and typography used in Argentinian culture. In the case of Cbabi, the style of his work was the primary influence on typographic treatment. Based on that research, I experiment with different fonts and treatments of the copy I’ve pulled in context of the spread where I’d like for them to appear."
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