21-year old Melbourne photographer Jordan Madge and veteran journalist Stephen Dupont were the big winners in the Australian Photobook of the Year awards for 2015.
Madge, a recent graduate of the Photography Studies College in Melbourne, won the Self Published Award for his book titled Red Herring.
“You're aware that a girl has disappeared but you have to piece the story together," said a statement from the judging panel. "Its open narrative captivates you and makes you want to read it again. The pairing of images, the use of colour with black and white, and the snippets of text create rhythm and build drama without shouting. The minimalist aesthetic and different paper textures also add to the mystery.”
Madge won $2000 cash and a $5000 Momento Pro credit that will allow him to produce a limited edition book to submit to critics and competitions. His work includes image appropriation, found objects and his own photographs, and he's currently working in Japan as an artist-in-residence.
Journalist Stephen Dupont won the Trade Published category for Generation AK: The Afghanistan Wars, 1993-2012, published by the German-based Gerhard Steidl.
The judges described it as 'a collection of 20 years of photojournalistic work in a war zone – a document of great magnitude and substance. The photographs are forceful, and they’re woven into a design that's sympathetic and doesn't overwhelm the imagery.”
Dupont won $1,000 cash and $2,000 in Momento Pro printing credit.
He previously won the Award in 2012 with Stoned In Kabul, and also won the Pictures of the Year International (POYi) Photography Book Award in February.
LA-NY by Sam Wong and Jack Shelton and Your love is not safe with me by Ailsa Bowyer were commended in the Self Published category, while Warwick Baker’s Belanglo (published by Perimeter Editions) and Leila Jeffreys’ Birdland (published by Hachette) were commended in the Trade Published category.
The judging panel included representatives from photography, publishing and art institutions, and was co-chaired by international art consultant Alasdair Foster and Photobook Melbourne Director Heidi Romano.
A finalist showcase is available at www.photobookoftheyear.com.au and the books will be exhibited alongside the New Zealand Photobook Of The Year Awards 2015 finalists in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Wellington and Auckland from March to July.
The Australian Photobook of the Year Awards are presented by Photobook Melbourne and Momento Pro to celebrate excellence and innovation in photo book creation. Momento Pro, a long term HP Indigo user, is also investigating opportunities to promote the work to international photography festivals later in the year via an Antipodean Photobook publication showcasing all the finalists as a collection.
The next round of Awards opens from 1 November 2016 until mid January 2017. Once again they will be co-hosted by partners Photobook Melbourne & Photobook New Zealand.