Pre-Sale: BLACK MASCULINITIES photography book
Yesssss. Our photography book project «BLACK MASCULINITIES» is nominated for the «Swiss Design Award 2023» and should finally see the light of day at this years ArtBasel in June! Created in collaboration with 22 Black & People of Color photographers from all over the world, the stereotyped entanglement of Black identity and masculinity will be deconstructed on 320 pages and fully infused with a contemporary set of values.
From the intro: «Their extraordinary works offer new ways of seeing, imagining, and also experiencing Black masculinities, whose cultural meanings are not only full of talent, but also unapologetically reclaiming, brilliant, courageous, thoughtful, decolonising, captivating, pioneering and absolutely game-changing. Each and every contributor of this book influences the cultural conditions of pluralistic expressions of identity. The chapters could not be more different. However, this anthology is held together by a common thread: with visual force and artistic finesse, BLACK MASCULINITIES fundamentally collects a set of contemporary values nurturing our representation. Empowerment instead of oppression while also ensuring diverse visibility.
Features works of: BRAYLEN DION, ARIELLE BOBB-WILLIS, KWAKU ALSTON, USSI’N YALA, KELVIN KONADU, JOZEF WRIGHT, YANNIS DAVY GUIBINGA, KEMKA AJOKU, NUITS BALNÉAIRES, NGADI SMART, RUBY OKORO, NAMAFU AMUTSE, KOFI DUAH, ROGERS OUMA, MAGANGA MWAGOGO, NAOMI MUKADI, JABARI JACOBS, MICHA SERRAF, ISAAC WEST, ERIC ASAMOAH, LAKIN OGUNBANWO, JUDE LARTEY
My project is special because ...
Embedded in a long history of slavery, racism, and oppression, Black masculinity is often subtly portrayed as aggressive, hypersexual, and violent to this day. In this volume, these common mechanisms of representation in visual culture are not only broken down by carefully edited photographs of the artists, but also complemented and made visible by a textual layer. Since the beginning of the history of photography, non-white photographers have been underrepresented on all possible levels of art production. The anthology functions as an introductory index and platform for precisely those photographers and brings about a sustainable visibility. For all of us.
This is what I need backing for.
The creation of a photography book requires - especially in times of declining demand for print products - half a village of dedicated people who want to work on a project without pay and out of a passion. At least partial remuneration for this work can be guaranteed with this support.
The photography volume has luckily already found an internationally renowned publishing house, but now the last part of the production costs for printing and distribution still has to be raised. The remaining part could already be compensated by further subsidies. At this point a big thank you to the Z-Kubator, the Zürcher Kantonalbank and also ZHdK.
Credits
Photographers: BRAYLEN DION, ARIELLE BOBB-WILLIS, KWAKU ALSTON, USSI’N YALA, KELVIN KONADU, JOZEF WRIGHT, YANNIS DAVY GUIBINGA, KEMKA AJOKU, NUITS BALNÉAIRES, NGADI SMART, RUBY OKORO, NAMAFU AMUTSE, KOFI DUAH, ROGERS OUMA, MAGANGA MWAGOGO, NAOMI MUKADI, JABARI JACOBS, MICHA SERRAF, ISAAC WEST, ERIC ASAMOAH, LAKIN OGUNBANWO, JUDE LARTEY
Concept, Art Direction, Editing: JOSHUA AMISSAH Texts: JOSHUA AMISSAH, THE ARTISTS Graphic design: JOSHUA AMISSAH, ELLIOT FRYDENBERG Proofreading: EMILY PALMER Lithography: ARON FLURI Consultant: NADINE BARTH Teaser Song: JON ARO Portrait video: DAVID JAEGGI Portrait: MISCHA FANGHAENEL
