What follows is a transcript of the paper presented at the Borderless Futures: Reimaging the Citizen

Symposium as part of the 2015 Ballarat International Foto Biennale. Selected images from the
presentation accompany the text to illustrate concepts raised. The text is relatively conversational as it
was performed rather than read to the audience.

PHOTOBOOK ANXIETY a paper by Dr Doug Spowart

I doubt that Henry Fox Talbot or Anna Atken realised in the 1840 what an impact that the photobook
would have on us in the 21st century, and the self-publishing revolution that we are witnessing today.
The old publishing and bookselling paradigm is now redefining itself and trying to maintain its
composure and power over their once lucrative territory. Now every photographer wants and can make
their own books but they need the inspiration found in the latest photobooks and they need to be kept
informed by the movers and shakers of the discipline as to what is happening now, and what are the
future trends and opportunities.
As a result there is a heightened anxiety for constant and direct personal connection with the pulse of
this worldwide phenomena. Social media is the communication vehicle of choice and participants in
the photobook network are driven to frenetically seek updates, reviews, new releases, post about their
books and the latest gossip through social media channels.
The anxiety surrounding this activity is palpable and the frisson of social media, particularly Facebook
is the powerful tool for this necessary communication as well as community building of the burgeoning
indie publishing photobooks movement.

Welcome to Photobook Anxiety otherwise known by it clinical title PBX. It is driven by the sufferer
having an uncontrollable desire to be a part of everything photobook happening in the world. It is
characterised by the sufferer constantly checking social media

What are the signs that of those suffering from this malady?

Wishing I could be there

There are so many events that happen worldwide its impossible to get to all of them let alone one. In a
recent Facebook newsfeed the frustrated respondent posted Oh I would freaking kill to be there
A sampling of the years calendar includes these events:

Photobook Melbourne February

Art Book Melbourne May
Photo London May
Auckland Festival of Photography (Photobook Symposium) May
Kassel Foto Book Festival June
Obscura Festival of Photography (Photobook Day) August
Perimeter book sale last weekend
Book Case Study in the Netherlands September
Aperture at Photo Paris November

I should have bought a copy of. Out-of-print/Limited editions/pre-orders

Trent Parkes Dream Life, probably Australias greatest ever photobook, is an excellent example of a
rare and out-of-print photobook. Originally selling for around $60 in 2001 it is now is impossible to get
for prices less that 20 times that amount.
One was listed on Amazon for 1550 Pounds?
Photoeyes Auction $ 895 with a day to go
Last year Abebooks listed one for $1084 in this very town Ive just checked and the Known World
Bookshop down the street and they have sold the book.

Limited Editions and Pre-Ordering

Adding to this PMX is the trend particularly among American photobook suppliers like Photo-Eye to
advertise limited supplies of signed books which can be pre-ordered with specific cut-off times and
dates. Even these can be out-sold before you hear about the offer being available as in the case recently
with Sally Manns Hold Still.
Recently Australian Bloom Publishing offered little badges with the text Print Forever as white text
on a black background. These were snapped-up and a following post Bloom advised that the badges
were all gone! But advised FB Friends to Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks. PMX now
demands that Bloom is followed closely so you wont miss out on the following offers.

You anxiously await the posts and stories of people you follow
Who hasnt been following the exploits of photobook officiando Sam Harris and his latest book The
Middle of Somewhere. Sams posts have taken us a long on the journey illustrated by images that could
well form the basis of a new book. As FB friends we feel his excitement at seeing his book on
bookshelves and being on a table at Arles with his book. The anguish of the missing visa to re-enter
Australia and the joy of being back in Australia and the Balingup sunset Oh! And the set up for his
exhibition and book launch by Alasdair Foster at BIFB

You anxiously await the posts about new stuff

FB Friends People who you respect and believe know whats going on offer advice on books to look
at, and get before they are sold out. Adding to PBX phrases like Look what I got today from Photoeye,
Alejandro Cartagenas latest book. It will be gone before you know it and Holy moly!!! If you can get
your hands on a copy of Mariela Sancaris brilliant Moises, do it now. Only 500 copies.
A couple of days ago Anita Totha from the Photobook Club Auckland posted that
Broomberg+Chanarins latest book was available: Better get you hands on this now. Even Bloom
has a new pin gotta get that! And what about Martin Parr badged clothing and accessories could
that be going a bit far?

You lament the gaps youve identified in your collection!

PBX will cause sufferers go to extraordinary lengths to try and fill them An Ask Meta Filter poster
exclaims Help me get my hands on Trent Parke. I mean, his books. Its driving me mental. I must get
Trent Parkes Dream Life and Seventh Wave Replies state the value of the book with responses
like Ouch, And no Dream/Life to be found. Snif
In another post on The Online Blog Kelvin, a respondent from Melbourne, brags about poking his
head into a second hand bookshop on the way to buying some biscuits from his local Subway store
and asked if they had a copy of Dream Life they did, and sold it to him for $70

So busy trying to be in it you have no time for your own work

Doug Stockdale of The Photobook blog recently posted a change to my photobook commentaries.
Hes overwhelmed by the dizzying rate of new photobooks and the quality and creativity of these
books. Stockdale comments that they need a shout out to the photographic community at large to
increase awareness and that is what his blog attempts to do. However hes finding that theres not
enough time for his own projects so he announced a a more concise Facebook format for the blog in
future posts

Just how pervasive is PBX?

Using SM for personal communications

A few days before Mothers Day this year a Brisbane acquaintance received notification that Ciaran Og
Arnolds I went to the worst of bars book was available in a bookshop in Amsterdam She posted
I want this for Mothers Day Her partner responded in less than an hour You got it. Weeks later
she triumphantly able to post that the book has arrived.

That you know the picture backgrounds for each photobook commentators blogs
Every photobook supplier, commentator, collector or archive has a standard background that is used for
his or her social media presence:
Perimeter has the shop-view, sometimes with a table of books with Justine or Emmas hand.
The Indie Photobook Library is the tabletop and a MAC laptop computer keyboard
Asia Pacific Photobook Archive used a knotted wood plank background for quite a while then, the
floor of their old space and then confused us all by every background unimaginable.

Cant walk past a second-hand bookshop or bookshop markdown table without feeling a
twinge to look inside
The anticipation of being rewarded with wondrous things is such a strong motivator

Spending more than you can afford building your library

The anxiety of photobook collectors was certainly shaken by a FB post from the State Library of
Victoria about Karl Largerfields personal library. I suppose it comes down to getting ones priorities
right when it comes to collecting and personal finances.

Gotta make sure Ive got the dates of the next Art Book Fair locked-in to my diary
Were you one of the 16,000 who went to the Melbourne Art Book Fair? If you werent there you
probably heard and read about how amazing it was. Now you dont want to miss out on the next one
Well, the Sydney Volume 2015 Another Art Book Fair is on in 2 weeks

Lifeline book sales are marked on your calendar

The Benjamin Effect!!

Photobook collectors will feel a connection with Walter Benjamin and his essay on Im unpacking my
library. In it he states Of the customary modes of acquisition, one of the most appropriate to a
collector would be the borrowing of a book with its attendant non-returning.[i]
But there are ways more desperate than that stealing books. A significant photobook identity recently
admitted that his last resort to save his favourite book from being held in library limbo by committing
an act of Bibliokleptomania.

Benjamin also has something that any PBX sufferer can take heed of and that is: Of all the ways of
acquiring books, writing them oneself is regarded as the most praiseworthy method.[ii] And that must
inspire those inflicted with PBX to go and make a book of their own

Antidotes / To Feed or Cure

Reviewing your social media strategy set your FB preferences to ensure you get
Notifications and that your selected Friends are listed as Family;
De-friend people who post what they ate for breakfast or pics of their cat unless the cat is
reading a book! (FB Friend Judy Barass posted this as a response to this point);
Find new FB Friends sources of quality information like Harvey Benge, Stockdales The
Photobook Blog, Foam, Dazedigital.com, Selfpublishbehappy.com, and Remote Photobooks
for whats happening in New Zealand;
Develop equity in social media: Giving = Getting. That is Like things that you like,
Comment and Share things adding your own comment to make it interesting for you FB
Friends;
Dont just lurk on FB otherwise things that you may be interested in will disappear from
your Newsfeed as FB may think that you to not engage with the content;
Looking at allied book disciplines like artists books and zines;
Sharing your books Ill give you mine if you give me yours. Ill buy yours if you buy mine;
Donate and contribute to photobook archives like the Indie Photobook Archive and the Asia
Pacific Photobook Archive;

Grow your local connect with events and people doing things in your region;
Lobby art institutions, libraries and criticism networks for more photobook content; and
Become an active advocate for photobooks.

In conclusion
Ultimately its hopeless and and PBX sufferer must give in to their base desires and needs and
participate with energy, vigour and indifference to other aspects of your life.

Finally: Some words from John Waters..

Thank You And SEE YOU ONLINE.

Benjamin, Walter. Unpacking My Library: A Talk About Book Collecting. Translated by Harry
Zohn. In Illuminations, 69-82. New York: Schocken Books, 2007. Reprint, Harcourt, Brace & World,
New York, 1968.
[i] Benjamin, Walter. Unpacking My Library: A Talk About Book Collecting. Translated by Harry
Zohn. In Illuminations, 69-82. New York: Schocken Books, 2007. Reprint, Harcourt, Brace & World,
New York, 1968. P62
[ii] ibid p61