For the past 10 years, the renowned TIME magazine has published its list of the 20 best photobooks of the year and 2021 was no exception: this year’s list includes three books printed by Musumeci.
Curated by the TIME photography department, this list was created by asking each editor to think of the titles they felt were most impactful in a year deeply marked by isolation due to COVID-19. Many tackle the movement for racial justice, explore economic inequality or uplift the voices of underrepresented social groups. In contrast, other titles stand out as a form of respite in these difficult times.
The poetry revealed by the lens thanks to the sensitivity of the three authors immediately shines through in all three photobooks printed by Musumeci. The printed form delivers their vision faithfully and honestly, in a format that beats with life.
PICKPOCKET by Daniel Arnold (Elara Press) is the author’s first monograph, a highly expressive documentation of the streets of New York between 2009 and 2020. Its peculiarity lies in the origin of the first photographs featured in the book. Starting from photos initially published on Instagram, the book was developed over a series of encounters on Zoom during lockdown.
What She Said by Deanna Templeton (Mack) reveals the secret diaries and photographs of many teenage girls, most of whom she met by chance and photographed on the street. The book shows how time is essential for growing, healing and opening up a space in which strength can be handed down to the next generation.
And finally, In Plain Air by Irina Rozovsky (Mack) is an ode to the shared experience of visiting Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York. The photographs go beyond the cracked walls and pavements, telling the artist’s personal love story with this iconic place.
