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The [ED]it // Edition 005. Audit
How doing an audit of your book and photobook collection can lead to some important home truths and realizations, and how to address them, plus news, one image and endnotes.
A photobook breakdown
A few years ago, I became very conscious of the photobooks on my shelves. I mean, I knew they were there, I took them down and looked at them regularly, but it was something else. I became very aware that most of the books were by white, Western male photographers.
So, in 2017, I did an audit to see just what the breakdown of the photobooks on my shelves was:
Male = 90% / Female = 10% (I am aware that this is binary and is missing those who do not define themselves by traditional genders / pronouns – it is something I am working on)
White = 99% / Other races and ethnicities = 1%
The difference between the number of books by male photographers vs female was bad enough, but breaking it down by race was downright lamentable.
Why does that matter? I was prompted to write about this by Melissa Lyttle’s most recent newsletter, and Melissa explains it very well in this blog post from last year considering the books she’s reading (update for 2021 here). Essentially, if 90% of what you look at, read, and consume is authored by white, Western men, then you are absorbing a very narrow viewpoint, one that continues to contribute to colonialisation and marginalisation of others.
Melissa and I had an email exchange about this, and I particularly agree with what she said in one email:
“As most of us are learning, we are taught to look at the world through a very white, heterosexual cis-male lens. It’s amazing what happens, though, when you start to change up that diet of what you’re being fed.” Melissa Lyttle, shared with permission
The photography and photobook industry as a whole does not yet grant the same access and promotion to women, non-binary, and photographers of other races and ethnicities that white, western men have enjoyed for centuries. And so, their work is more published and more available to us as photography consumers.
I have become much more aware of the photobooks being sold and marketed, from traditional publishing houses to photobook publishers and smaller indie operations; which books get more marketing push and which ones don’t, how many books have been produced that are by people of different perspectives: women, non-binary, LGBTQ+, and those of many different races and ethnicities. I don’t have hard data to back anything up, but it would seem to me things are getting better in terms of the diversity of what is published, with some publishers and galleries doing better than others.
Doing my audit spurred me to take action. I am now prioritising books by women, non-binary folks, and people of different races and ethnicities, particularly on subjects different to my own experiences. If I am tempted to buy a photobook by a white western male, I also look for one by a woman or person of colour. I will try to seek out a book on the same place, theme, or subject by a female, non-binary, and/or indigenous photographer.
Some say it shouldn't matter, that a good book is a good book, and you shouldn’t stop yourself from buying a book that contains work you like. I agree with that, to an extent. But the viewpoint absolutely matters, and over time it is compounded if you only read or look at one genre or one type of author.
My goal is to redress the balance by looking and reading widely and diversely, to make sure I am learning to see and trying to understand different lives, expressions, and perspectives rather than reinforcing my own. How you or I choose to spend our money can be an act of support for the books you want to see published and out in the world, and a refutation of marginalisation.
So, how is it going? As of this week, my most recent photobook audit was:
Male = 73% / Female = 27% (none by non-binary identifying people as yet)
White = 89% / Other races and ethnicities = 11%
Better, but there is still a way to go.
How do your bookshelves look? Do you think it matters? I’d genuinely like to hear from you.
// News
Surrey Artist Open Studios
This year I am again taking part in Surrey Artists Open Studios (SAOS) with some of the other makers and artists at Little Acre Studios. We are part of the ‘Bourne and Beyond Trail’ in Farnham. For more details and the days and times we are open please visit my website.
New Portrait: Dr Hannah Grieg
Work finally picked up a little in May as the pandemic restrictions eased again. I was very happy to be able to do a portrait commission for Dr Hannah Greig, academic historian and historical consultant for film and television. There’s more about the portrait session and Dr Greig on my website blog.
// One image
He leans towards camera actively, grimacing slightly with effort. The sky is bright and almost cloudless… I was in the darkroom printing this image last week, getting ready for SAOS. You can read more about it here.
// Endnotes
There are many vital resources that can help you find work by under-represented groups in photography. I find the following particularly useful: TheBlkGaze by Shaun Connell, Women Photograph, Indigenous Photograph, Diversify Photo and The Other Collective, among many others.
Pertinent to my project ‘Pure Soil’ and farming with soil health and sustainability in mind are the Soil Association and the Sustainable Food Trust.
Thank you for reading The [ED]it. I hope you enjoyed it. Please forward this on to anyone else you think might enjoy it, and please do get in touch by leaving your thoughts in the comments or contacting me via email at edbrydon@gmail.com
Take care,
Ed
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About me:
I am a photographer and writer available for commissions based near Farnham, Surrey, in south east England, just 45 minutes from London. I also regularly work in North Wales.
My more recent work explores personal connections to place, the land and natural environment, how each of those, and the connections between them, are changing.
In 2017 my ongoing project on people of North Welsh heritage in the northeast US was exhibited at Northern Eye Festival. I was subsequently awarded a commission from the Welsh Parliament in 2019 to make new work for exhibition around Wales in 2019-20.
You can find out more on my website here.
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Thank you!
Genuinely surprised by the lack of responses to this. Are people afraid to engage, or afraid of what they'll see on their bookshelves? Or do people just not care?
Well done. I'm curious to see where you are now three years into this exercise, especially given the additional attention this article is receiving.
Also, the idea of intentionally seeking out and looking for diverse thoughts and voices applies to all forms of the visual and performing arts. Attention is being paid and progress is definitely being made, but there is still a long way to go.