2020 Best Books!
First off, apologies for the misleading title. Unfortunately, this is not a “Best Books” list. In fact, any best list might as well be an arbitrary selection of one’s own personal taste and interest. Which is probably (exactly) what this ‘list’ is!
We (or just I, Raul Rodriguez) have created a short list of some memorable titles I came across this year and believe deserve your attention. Before continuing, I want to acknowledge the fact that this is one of our first times creating a post in this manner; where editor’s notes can be taken into account. We’ve learned so much this year on how we operate as a platform and doing things like this would help break us into new features as the DRP platform continues to evolve and cater to the expanding universe that is our photographic cosmos. For this list I’m championing our Texas community, the self published and the independent press for their work in putting stuff out there for the sake of the photo. Keep scrolling to see the ten (maybe eleven) titles that came across my radar.
Photo Books 2020
Jamie Robertson’s photo book and recent MFA thesis work, Charting the Afriscape of Leon County, Texas uncovers a rich history that chronicle the African diaspora as it exists in this unincorporated region of TX. Through archives, genealogical research and revisits, Jamie shares a piece of her own heritage and family history from the landscapes of Leon County, TX. DRP hosted a digital version of the book earlier this year but you can now purchase a physical copy from indie publisher Fifth Wheel Press.
Charting the Afriscape of Leon County, Texas
Stories, 1986–88 by Fort Worth, TX artist Diane Durant is a time machine between two worlds. The artist’s memories are re-imagined and brought to life through photographs and text that explore pieces of significant childhood experiences. By collaborating with her daughter, positioning her as the protagonist, the stories create a whimsical mirage blending together fact, fiction, memories and time that delve into the artists’ psyche and reflections from this coming of age period. The book is published by Daylight Books and can be purchased through them or the artist.
Stories, 1986–88
Pecos
Pecos by artist Hope Mora is a fantastic zine that tells the story of her humble hometown pin dropped on the Permian Basin in West Texas. Her work and images shine light on a rural America we might have missed. A population made up of a Latina/o labor force that is enriching the region with culture, commerce and community. Hope invites viewers to acknowledge the many faces, workers, and resilient people who have made Pecos, TX their home. You can purchase Pecos in our very own online store or on the artist’s website.
Bull Riders
Although just a few days shy of a 2020 publication, Jake Dockins’ Bull Riders newsprint zine brings a notable spread of his series and photographic work. He documents the conditions of masculinity within the American rodeo culture and those who partake in this extreme sport. The portraits of Bull Riders give us an insight into the balancing act of fear and confidence expressed throughout the roster of males that have found a calling to its exhilarating nature. We interviewed Jake about the work earlier this year and have hosted Bull Riders in our online shop (BACKORDERS AVAILABLE). You can purchase the work in our store or reach out to the artist.
Getting out of your hometown and exploring parts unknown can be a dream come true. But it can also allow a new kind of vision for the place you once called home. Trent Teinert explores the compositional beauty of his hometown in his self published photo book, Harlingen. If you’ve ever traveled to the Southern most tip of Texas into Mexico chances are you’ve passed Harlingen, TX on the way. With fresh eyes and new found appreciation, Trent revisits his home away from home finding graceful charm in its shadows and light. The work was featured on DRP back in September and can be purchased on the artist’s website.
Harlingen
Donnie Williams is the kind of photographer who can’t stop/won’t stop. His photo book 2020 B.C. (Before Corona) gives a wide array of his prolific output over the course of several years prior the ongoing pandemic. His work can be described as always on the move, finding both subtle moments within the daily chase as well as capturing the action and elusive scenes of human behavior. Williams is the modern day Moriyama of Fort Worth, TX and can best be reached on his Instagram (@willid420) for purchases on his self published title.
2020 B.C. (Before Corona)
Photo by Jessica Martinez
Rahim Fortune’s self published titles, Oklahoma traces family history as means of healing. Not only for the artist himself but for the disenfranchised communities that are topical to the American experience. Currently based in Austin, TX with roots in the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma, Fortune’s distinct experience with the destruction of culture gives his work an eye that pays tribute to the hardship and resilience of those who face this adversity. Oklahoma is a vehicle for the reclamation of one’s own story after severe loss. These special photo books may be sold out at this point. Please reach out to the artist for further info.
Oklahoma I, II
Standing out from our list is the chapbook What Remains by Claudia Delfina Cardona. Published this year by a fellow independent press in our Texas cohort, Host Publications, What Remains is a literary photograph of the cultural corner that is San Antonio, TX. Cardona’s poetic language vibrates a magical scene of what it is to live, love, cry and love again, all the while dancing to the cumbia sounds that engulf SA under the Texas moon. Check out and purchase the artist’s debut chapbook through Host Publications.
What Remains
Passing Place
You Are Eternity, You Are the Mirror
The last two titles on this list can be found though the Georgia based publisher Yoffy Press and give us fantastic work by two renowned and recognized Texas based artists, Sandy Carson and Marcy Palmer. Carson’s book Passing Place is a photographic memoir that acts to preserve a family history and bond that exists through thousands of miles. Combining archival family images and newly made photographs during revisits, Passing Place is a tribute to his mother and the village he grew up in in Western Scotland that makes room to continue the journey of relationships affected by migration and movements.
You Are Eternity, You Are the Mirror by Marcy Palmer can be best described as a a surreal experience of botanical beauty. Her image making process combines delicate materials like vellum, 24K gold leaf, varnish and wax to create stunning work that may remind u (amidst our trials) that beauty is alive and well and can be found in nature as well as our imaginations. You Are Eternity, You Are the Mirror takes Palmer’s work even deeper by pairing it with works by Lebanese write, poet and artist Khalil Gibran.
These titles can be found at various distributions as well as from the publisher.
Raul Rodriguez is editor/founder of Deep Red Press. He graduated with a BFA from the University of North Texas College of Visual Arts and Design. He has worked with museums and organizations like The Oak Cliff Cultural Art Center, Make Art With Purpose, the Dallas Museum of Art and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Raul is a #CarterCommunityArtist 2019-2020 for the Amon Carter Museum of American Art and the recipient of a 2020 Nasher Sculpture Center Artist Grant. (Photo: Melissa Laree Cunningham)
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