Matt Johnston is a writer and educator
Episode 283: Matt Johnston is the English academic, educator, and writer responsible for the indispensable new book Photobook & published by Onomatopee.
This was an education for me. Not only is Matt’s book incredible to page through for its deep insight and obvious scholarly approach, but it is also highly enjoyable if you are in any way indebted to the recent rise of the photobook as a medium in its own right. Our conversation covered lots of ground regarding the “photobook phenomenon” as we see it today. We chart t the rise of the book over the last decade and discuss the pros and cons of its meteoric rise as a medium worth serious investigation.
I don’t wish to sound overpraising, but Matt’s book, along with Tiffany Jones’s book Dynamics of the Photobook Market are both watershed titles about the medium of the photobook. Matt’s book is incredibly in-depth and why shouldn’t it be? He has been involved in the study of photobooks for some time now and is responsible for starting and promoting the medium through his effort with The Photobook Club. In any event, I do not wish to overkill my praise before you listen to the episode, but please do realize that it was a significant milestone for me to get Matt to speak about the book and his thoughts on the culture surrounding the photobook as it is a medium that matters greatly for me. Please tune-in to this!
