josef chladek

on photobooks and books

Jack French - Nordic Songs & Fairytales, Self published, 2016, England

Softcover, hand-stitched, design by Jack French, edition of 24 copies.

„I took these photos on a trip last summer to the Åland Islands, scattered and remote in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Sweden. Across the archipelago I came across these hidden, mysterious and dreamlike landscapes: a high rocky outcrop, a lonely stony shore, a deep woodland thickly furred with lichen. All found by chance, guided by curiosity and what catches the eye. Around the shoreline and into the woods, going deeper and getting to the heart.
I wanted to try to recreate something of the feel of these places within the close, intimate confines of a book.
I called it Nordic Songs & Fairytales because I wanted to make believe that mythical tales might take place here.
A small softbound book seemed best because this was no great expedition. More of a slow and soft exploration without maps, a few steps away, slightly off the beaten track. A magical world might be closer at hand and more easily found than you think.
The paper is heavy and uncoated, so you feel a soft texture when you hold it and turn the pages. I bound the book myself, longstitched with thread two signatures into the spine. I wanted a personal touch to every copy, to know that I put each one together by hand.
Nordic Songs & Fairytales is published in a first edition of 24, signed and numbered. 38 Pages, 20 x 22cm, digitally printed on Fedrigoni Arcoprint paper 300/170, hand-sewn binding.“

More info and to order.

Pages: 38
Place: England
Year: 2016
Publisher: Self published
Size: 20 x 22 cm (approx.)