Photobooks of 2016: Christer Ehrling

Photobooks of 2016: Christer Ehrling

 

I bought my first book in 1986. It was Cafe Lehmitz by Anders Petersen, only because it was a little cheaper than The friends at Place Blanche by Christer Strömholm. My second book was Place Blanche. Since then, I have predominantly been drawn to books with a similar kind of restless energy, books that deal with human interaction and the condition of living. That is what I feel ties my selection together, something that became obvious when trying to motivate their place in my little stack of favorites.

 

Christer Strömholm – Poste Restante
It was the image world of Strömholm that made me pick up a camera over 30 years ago. Since then, I have returned to his well-known images over and over again, very much like visiting a dear friend for a little chat now and then. This classic book from 1967 is finally back in print, a blessing for us who can’t afford the first edition. It is still a vibrant book, it must have been viewed as something extraordinary when it first came out.

A couple of years ago, I stumbled across some of her photograph by chance. A book of everyday human encounters, the way life was lived not too long ago.

There are not many signs in his new book that tell us when in time these images were taken. Reminding me in part of italian neorealist cinema, this book feels very much like it’s about an Italy that is more like a place for dreams and longing than a factual geographical place.

Monika has portrayed women in situations that makes you question what you see and feel. They seem to behave according to rules set up by no one but themselves. There is a sense of uncertainty and tension in the images that makes this book so fascinating.

RIEN by André Cepeda was definitely my favorite book from 2012. The book design, the printing, it’s sequencing and layout; it all came together. RDHK is riso printed on grey paper which gives it a zine-y, tactile feel that I appreciate a lot.

I know, I’m biased, but I believe no publisher has made more to spread swedish photography to the world than Gösta Flemming and Journal. There was a late release of books by JH Engström and Hendrik Zeitler amongst others, and my pick was Bright hours by Karl Henrik Edlund. A beautiful book inside and out, it has a slow-paced sequencing that goes so well with the tone of the photographs.

It seems that for every project, Jacob is getting even closer, more relentless, to the people he encounters. We see only the details, and the combined fragments make the whole picture.

Gregory Halpern – ZZYZX
Many things have been said about this book already, and it’s hard to come up with a new angle. It takes us through Los Angeles, from the desert to the ocean. Like with In absence, this is a book that I will return to many times.

 

Christer Ehrling is a photographer based in Gothenburg, Sweden. He mixes personal work with commercial assignments and teaching. His first book, Asphalt Telegraph, was published by Journal in 2011.

Images – top: Bright Hours by Karl Henrik Edlund, below: By The River Of Kings by Jacob Aue Sobol