Underdogs issue 8

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DOGS photography magazine / issue_8

Johan Bryggman Marc Gass贸 Alexandra H枚hn Giuseppe Mileti Wendy Morgan Tolo Parra Jean-Christophe Recchia Petra van der Ree Ding Ren

Curator/Editor/Designer: Isa Gelb Cover & back cover: Alexandra Hรถhn All images and text published in Underdogs are the sole property of the featured photographers.

NO image can be reproduced, edited, copied or distributed without the express written permission of its legal owner.

NO part of the publication may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher.

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One aspect of photography that intrigues me is the difference between photos produced “for the wall”—e.g., for an art gallery space—and photos produced “for the table,” e.g., for a magazine such as Underdogs. (I note in passing that we could speak of a third category, photos produced “for the Internet,” which, in my mind, combine qualities of the first two categories.)

The differences between such modes of production have been explicitly discussed by the critic Walter Benjamin, and more recently by Michael Fried in his book Why Photography Matters as Art as Never Before. Acknowledging their contributions to the discussion, I wish to guide it in my own direction.

For me, the difference between photos produced for the wall and for the table mirrors the “professional” and “amateur” divide in photography. As the title of Underdogs is a nod to the status of amateur photographers, this divide is one that has interested me from the very beginning.

I have often questioned the premises of the divide between professional and amateur photography, and I continue to do so with respect to image quality. However, if I were to concede such a divide, it would be on the basis of the ability to make a photo presentable on a wall.

This is where I believe professional photography has a unique edge.

I feel sharp pangs of frustration whenever a photo I love mysteriously loses its power when it is framed and hung on a wall. This feeling is compounded when I am forced to admit that an image I would otherwise find middling is more effective in the same context. Because there are always forces at play outside of the image itself that influence its reception, it would be hypocritical of me to say a type of “gamesmanship” is occurring on the wall that does not occur on the page. If anything, I would take pride in the ability to present photos in a way that is subtly flattering, when compared to a completely random arrangement. If similar processes occur on the wall and on the page, why do I feel there is such a major difference between one and the other? Could it be that walls are the hallmark of institutions, which impose their values, such as professionalism, subconsciously, in a way that can’t be ignored when viewing the photo on display? Or maybe the page creates a more intimate relationship that envelops the viewer, one that has the power to resist such institutional forces?

I also wonder if the relation I described between the wall and the page is a necessary one.

I am not a gallery curator, so some of my frustration may be due to inexperience.

At this point in time, these issues are food for thought for me about the place of a magazine such as Underdogs, and the deeper ways I can work as a curator, editor, and designer to shape the reception of photography.

JOHN KOCH www.flickr.com/photos/orphotographer/

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JOHAN BRyGGMAN

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JOHAN BRyGGMAN Pite책 / Sweden

HIS CAMERAS Leica M6, Mamiya 7 II, Ricoh GR1s for personal and a Fuji X-T1 for work.

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MARC GASSÓ 11

MARC GASSĂ“ Barcelona/ Spain

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HIS CAMERAS Olympus mju ll, Leica Minilux, Canon 300 V, Contax T2, Contax G2 and in digital Canon 5D mark ll.

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AlExANDRA HรถHN

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AlExANDRA HรถHN Hamburg / Germany

HER CAMERAS I use a Contax T2, a Nikon F3 and sometimes a Sony Nexx.

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GIUSEPPE MIlETI

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GIUSEPPE MIlETI Zurich / Switzerland

HIS CAMERA

Canon A1, Pentax 6x7, Mamiya 7, Pentacon Six TL

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WENDy MORGAN

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WENDy MORGAN Toronto / Canada

HER CAMERAS Contax G2, Olympus OM-D

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TOlO PARRA

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TOlO PARRA Sevilla / Spain

HIS CAMERAS Mamiya 7 and Canon Eos 1D Mark IV

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JEAN-CHRISTOPHE RECCHIA

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JEAN-CHRISTOPHE RECCHIA Nantes / France

HIS CAMERAS Canon Eos 350D and Canon Ixus 300 HS

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PETRA vAN DER REE

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PETRA vAN DER REE Rotterdam / Netherlands

HER CAMERAS

Nikon D7000, Fuji x100T, Nikon D750

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DING REN

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DING REN Amsterdam / Netherlands Born in China, grew up in USA

HER CAMERAS All photos shot using a 35mm compact camera: Canon Sure Shot 85 Zoom

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MANy THANkS TO JOHAN BRYGGMAN Piteå / Sweden www.flickr.com/photos/105702979@N08/

MARC GASSÓ Barcelona/ Spain www.flickr.com/photos/51460709@N04/

ALEXANDRA HÖHN Hamburg / Germany alexhoehn.tumblr.com

GIUSEPPE MILETI Zurich / Switzerland http://giuseppemileti.com/

WENDY MORGAN Toronto / Canada wendy-morgan.tumblr.com www.flickr.com/photos/wendymorgan/

TOLO PARRA Sevilla / Spain http://toloparra.tumblr.com/ http://www.toloparra.com/

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE RECCHIA Nantes / France https://www.flickr.com/photos/picsagain/ http://picsagain.tumblr.com/

PETRA VAN DER REE Rotterdam / Netherlands https://www.flickr.com/photos/rosehobart/ http://cargocollective.com/pvanderree

DING REN Amsterdam / Netherlands www.dingren.net halfcrystalline.tumblr.com www.flickr.com/photos/dingren/

Next issue July 2016

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DOGS issue_8

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