The INFOCUS Juried Exhibition of Self-Published Photobooks will be at Phoenix Art Museum from August 23 to September 28, 2014. It explores the ways photographic artists are using newly available commercial technologies to self-publish photobooks. Entries were accepted until the end of July when a jury of seven industry professionals reviewed the 271 photobooks that came from 12 countries to select the 151 that will be on display to the public as part of the exhibition. The selected photobooks represent the diverse examples that were received and will be presented on tables in the gallery for visitors to easily view and enjoy.
Phoenix Art Museum’s Norton Family Curator of Photography Rebecca Senf, Ph.D., was inspired to create this exhibition in Phoenix after learning about the DIY: Photographers & Books exhibition that was at Cleveland Museum of Art in 2012. A librarian, retail sales manager, two photography curators, two photography authors, and the founder of a photobook library made up the jury of seven industry professionals. Submissions were accepted until the end of July and the jury was overwhelmed by the nearly 300 submissions received. The photobooks came from 12 countries including Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. Within the U.S. alone books came from 31 states and Puerto Rico.
Rebecca Senf, Ph.D., said, “This is the first time I’ve done a big juried exhibition and it was such an exciting process.” She added, “Reviewing the books with my colleagues was enjoyable and it was a pleasure to discover so many wonderful books. I cannot wait to share what we discovered with the Phoenix Art Museum audience.”
The INFOCUS Juried Exhibition of Self-Published Photobooks was organized by Phoenix Art Museum, INFOCUS,Phoenix Art Museum’s photography support organization, and the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. For additional information about the exhibition please visit phxart.org/exhibition/infocusphotobooks.
