Volume 1: Detroit
A Detroit You Haven’t Seen Before, in Limited Edition Art Photography Books
An independent publisher producing unique, limited-edition quarterly photo book projects makes its debut with a collection featuring Detroit photographers. This inaugural project on Detroit is a series of photography books, postcards, and a fine art photography print, available at obscuraland.com until November 30, 2016.
Rather than focusing on the ruins or economic distress people have come to expect with Detroit photography, Obscura Land’s inaugural project, Volume 1: Detroit, highlights photographers whose connection to the city influences their conceptually oriented images. The 19 Detroit photographers featured in this volume include some of the most celebrated names in the city’s photo community. This Detroit project is only available until November 30, 2016 at obscuraland.com.
Like all of Obscura Land’s quarterly photo book projects, Volume 1: Detroit is available in three subscription packages. The basic package (Meat) consists of five small monographs, featuring the work of: Carlos Diaz, Corine Vermeulen, Kyohei Abe, Lisa Spindler, and Ryan Debolski. The images in these books are not of the city itself, but instead feature photographers who have been working in the city. The middle package (Meat + Potatoes) adds a sixth book and a postcard set, on the city itself, featuring work from 14 additional Detroit photographers: Bill Schwab, Tom Stoye, Brian Day, Ali Lapetina, Aleksey Kondratyev, Nick Hagen, Michelle and Chris Gerard, Ralph Jones, Susan Simmons, Judi Bommarito, Geoff George, Jason Keen, Daniel Eller, and Noah Waldeck. It also includes a hand-stamped kraft slipcase to hold all six books, an Obscura Land matchbox, and an introduction by Detroit Institute of Arts Curator of Photography Nancy Barr. The highest level package (Meat + Potatoes + Gravy) adds a 18”x18” archival fine art photo print of one Kyohei Abe’s images.
“Neither meant as comprehensive survey of photographic practice in the city nor as a linear and singular narrative of Detroit or cultures elsewhere, volume one of Obscura Land nonetheless offers evidence of life in real time and at this particular moment. It is also a comment on the process of photography itself and individual perception brought out into the world in order for others to comprehend and see things differently.”
Nancy Barr, Curator of Photography, Detroit Institute of Arts – from the introduction to Volume 1: Detroit
Volume 1: Detroit is just the first quarterly project from Obscura Land. Subscribers will receive equally unique photo book projects every three months. Everything Obscura Land produces promises to be more than just typical photo books, but rather art objects in themselves.
Obscura Land’s quarterly photo book projects are only available during a three month time period by subscribing to one of three amusingly named packages: Meat, Meat + Potatoes, or Meat + Potatoes + Gravy. Their branding may have a kitschy ’50s vibe, but the work being published is serious fine art photography. The only way to get one of Obscura Land’s quarterly photo book projects is go to obscuraland.com and subscribe.
Obscura Land was founded by Detroit-based photographers Noah Waldeck and Daniel Eller. Noah is a fine art photographer, curator, and expert printmaker and Daniel is a creative director, installation artist, filmmaker, and photographer.
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