‘No other visual language manages to convey a message quite so persuasively as the printed photograph and most photography enthusiasts are first introduced to a particular photographer or ‘auteur’ through this medium – in newspapers, magazines and books. Photographs, when reproduced by letterpress, gravure or offset lithography, presented in the right context and assisted by the good picture editi
ng and graphic design, still work all their original magic: whether printed on coated or uncoated paper and whatever the format, they offer a fascinating picture of the world. The reader sits down with the book, looks to see what it contains, gets engrossed and starts to leaf eagerly through it. It marks the moment of ultimate intimacy between maker and viewer. For, without such publications, we should never have learned to understand the work of many photographers; both famous and lesser-known.’
Willem van Zoetendaal (The Hague, 1950) is a graphic designer since 1979 and started publishing books on photography in 1995. He is also active as a curator and has a gallery for more than 10 years. www.vanzoetendaal.nl
