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The 14th edition of the Month of Photography (created in 1980) takes as its theme a major aspect of 2Oth century photography: "the printed page".
For over a century books, magazines and posters have been essential media for the distribution of photographic images. Technological developments enabling the production of larger prints have meant that photographs are now on a par with paintings and have made their way into art museums. But the page has a greater sense of intimacy, and the skills of printing and layout continue to fascinate art directors, graphic designers, photographers, and anyone else involved in the publishing process - including those who write the accompanying texts. The printed page remains a major creative medium.
As in previous years, I put three colleagues in charge of bringing together and organizing the various proposals we received from galleries, cultural centres and museums. Over sixty projects were finally selected.
Historian Anne de Mondenard is particularly interested in the background to the creation and distribution of photographs. She has brought together projects showcasing pictures - some famous, some less well known - that have made the printed page such a powerful medium for photography.
Author and critic Gabriel Bauret has turned his attention to the various different forms of photographic publishing and the way they have evolved over time. He shows how the desire to have pictures published is sometimes even stronger than the desire to see them hanging in a museum.
Last but not least, top art director Peter Knapp had the challenging task of putting together a selection of magazines and books that provide prime examples of how photographs and text work together to the best possible effect.
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