La sélection #3 — Tony Cederteg
Photo : Tony Cederteg, Libraryman, by Anders KylbergIt is a pleasure to continue this format with a selection from Tony Cederteg, independent art director, designer and especially publisher of the wonderful publishing house Libraryman. Before we dive into Tony's 5 book selection, let's first introduce him by asking him a couple of questions.
Can you tell us about your personal background?
I am originally from rural Sweden and born to a caretaker of the elderly and a fire-fighter. I began playing drums in metal bands at age 9, which opened my world for various art forms. Never had I ever thought it would be a profession of mine though.
Big gap of failures and shit jobs.
Between 2006–2008 I published zines within drawing, painting, photography and fashion under the name Cederteg Publishing. In 2008, I founded Libraryman, a publishing imprint solely for contemporary photography. Shortly to leading up to founding Libraryman, as well as functioning alongside the publishing house for its first 8–9 years, I worked as an art director in fashion, a TV show host and as a pedagogue for disabled children and adults.
How did your interest in photobooks begin?
My interest must’ve begun via cinema and cinematography, since I’m a huge fan of motion pictures. Punk and photo zines of different youth communities made a big impact. I fell in love with photobooks when I moved to Stockholm when I was 18 while visiting an art book store. To be more precise than this will be impossible since everything happened quite organically—I had to seek out everything for myself with small steps.
How did the idea of starting Libraryman come up?
I had a romantic idea that I wanted to create serene, concise and beautiful photo books; completely unbeknownst of the coming challenges and its early financial struggle.
Do you focus on a certain theme or genre?
I’m widening my horizon each year. Our annual book prize, Libraryman Award, is a great opportunity for me to experience new photography. I am always looking for beauty, in whichever way it may reveal itself.
Can you tell us in a concrete way how the books you publish are designed? For example, do you always collaborate with the same graphic designer?
Since 2010 I design all the books myself. I try to design as supplementary and subtle to the artists works as possible. Clearly I have a type of aesthetical manner, which became more clear as time went on. I have some restrictions due to being self-taught, which with time I have reversed to possibilities. I have no intention to overpower the original intention of the work of an artist, yet to be a helping hand in shaping it into an object. My stubbornness is a longer story on how and why I design books in a certain way haha.
How important is it for you to present your books at events or fairs? How do you prepare these moments?
It can be of great importance. It’s always a special, and at times, an overwhelming feeling when interacting with customers in person; to be able to converse and laugh together. My first book fair participation was in New York so I’ve been loyal to New York and Los Angeles for as long as I can remember. Other fairs are usually covered by our lovely distributors.
Have you perceived an evolution in the world of photo publishing in the last few years?
Perhaps in the sense that there are far more publishers now than ever before. A lot of self-published projects are finally getting their well-deserved attention, as they should.
How do you see the future of photo publishing?
Further contemplation and progression on various genres within photography and the publishing of photobooks. It’s a small world so I often get drowsy when seeing or hearing about traditional and general ways and structures of perceiving or knowing of photography. How to make a photobook may differ from different publishers, yet sometimes it feels that there’s only one way, the right way, which is a very obsolete way of looking at things. Oftentimes, I feel that photographic work could use less words, instead, let the books poetically guide you, the pictures are right in front of you, without any preconceptions or external influences—feel whatever you may feel.
HISTORIC TEN — HAJIME SAWATARI
In all honesty, I could name almost any book by this artist, preferably his work from the 70s, yet I am choosing a more “recent” title. This book is printed in b/w on yellow tinted paper and consist of a woman and a Cephalopod. It’s incredibly gentle, at the same time as being sexual and graphical, but never harsh. Every time I need any sort of clarity in life or in my work, I open this book and somehow it may guide me. Published as part of the photo book series published by Japanese clothing brand Hysteric Glamour, alongside Daido Moriyama, Masahisa Fukase and Cindy Sherman.
Hysteric Ten, Hysteric Glamour
DROIT DE REGARDS — MARIE-FRANÇOISE PLISSART
All text in this book is in French, which I do not read, nor speak. All I know of this book through brief research is that the author is Belgian and that the book is a “photo-novel,” yet I enjoy this book incredibly by just looking at the pictures and rediscovering details, which inspire me differently each time. The image sequencing is great. I like the mystery of not knowing too much about this book.
Droit de regards, Éditions de Minuit
NEW WAVES — TAKASHI HOMMA
This one is a favourite. I have a much greater connection to the forest, than the sea and its waves, but there is something quite magical about the repetitiveness and borderline ordinary images in this oversized soft cover book. If I would find it in bookshops I would buy an additional copy every time.
New waves, Parco View
ESPANA GRAND TARDE, FIESTA, VAYA CON DIOS — IKKO NARAHARA
My dear friend François Halard found this copy for me in a bookstore in Tokyo when we traveled there together. He was sad that the book was significantly cheaper than the copy he had bought for himself some years earlier. The book is equally as fascinating as it is obnoxious due to its subject: bullfighting. The monochrome printing is simply at another level, completely breathtaking. The packaging is also great with several slipcases.
Espana Grand Tarde, Fiesta, Vaya Con Dios, Kyuryu-do
YOUNG TREE — SHINGO WAKAGI
One of the first photo books I bought. It took a long time before I made the purchase since at the time I was completely broke, yet I was eyeing it every week in the bookstore up until the purchase. As long as I can remember I’ve had an immense appreciation for Asian cinema and this book resonated deeply with me since it had a similar sensibility with some Vietnamese and Japanese films that I loved at the time. The book documents the artist’s grandfather moving in with his parents due to old age and health issues. It’s a very serene and respectful book that pays homage to the elderly.