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| © Michael Lorenzini |
| Lesley Martin |
Lesley Martin
Executive editor of books, Aperture Foundation
On List Because: She's breaking the mold for iconic photography books
Secret of Her Success: Imagination combined with an astonishing breadth of knowledge
Quote: "A book is no longer a box to house a series of photographs."
Photography was not a prominent part of the art scene when Aperture magazine was founded in 1952. But over the next few decades, as photographers pushed the bounds of their medium and incorporated strategies from other art forms, their own views of what they were doing -- as well as the views of gallery owners, museum directors, art collectors, and critics -- changed so much that by the end of the millennium many industry practices needed major revamping.
Thus the Aperture Foundation decided to take stock of its own house when Michael Hoffman, the organization's longtime executive director, died in 2001. In 2003 Ellen Harris was appointed executive director. She shifted the focus from the magazine to exhibitions and also expanded the book division, naming Lesley Martin as executive editor. Martin, who had once worked at Aperture as an assistant under Hoffman, began to build a list of conceptually oriented books that have added a fresh vision to the photography world.
Martin believes that as photography has moved beyond the simple capture of real-life moments, ideas about presenting photographs have evolved. "Today, a book is no longer a box to house a series of photographs," she says. A striking example of a new approach is The Apollo Prophecies, which Aperture brought out at the end of 2006. The book comprises one photograph, 19 feet long, depicting an imaginary 1960 expedition of astronauts who land on the moon to discover a lost mission of Edwardian-era astronauts. Pushing concepts further, in 2007 Aperture will publish not a book but a deck of cards depicting the photographs of Christian Marclay, an artist fascinated by the interplay of visuals with sound. The photographic equivalent of John Cage's notion of chaotic random occurrences in music, the Aperture cards will show photos of musical notes as they appear in the landscape -- on deli awnings, chocolate bars, tattoos. Readers (or, rather, viewers) can shuffle the cards, building visual and musical sequences according to their own design.
But for all her innovative vision, Martin has no intention of abandoning either "straight" means of presenting images or more traditional forms such as documentary photography. Nor does her view of the function of the photo book differ significantly from that of Aperture cofounder Minor White. "White wanted the book division to communicate what was happening in photography," Martin says. "That hasn't changed."
What has changed is the very nature of what is happening in -- and to -- photography. Under Martin's leadership, Aperture publications will reflect it.
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