The Photo Vault: A journey into Vernacular Photography, Archives and Photobooks

In this episode of The Photo Vault, we discuss with Dutch artist and editor Erik Kessels why it is important to have an opinion and dislike things, as well as why it is most important that young artists get paid. Erik is a prolific book and exhibition maker, known for his narrative creation through appropriated images. Take a look as well at Erik’s website and publishing page to gain a deeper understanding of his work and thought process." Enjoy the conversation: Erik Kessels WebsiteInstagram Kessel Kramer Publishing Follow us on Instagram: @Vernacular Social Club @Lukas Birk Become a Vernacular Social Club member

Follow French editor and artist Thomas Sauvin on his journey from a Chinese language student to the collector and editor of an enormous archive that he continually augments from a dumpsite in Beijing. With his project, Beijing Silvermine, he has produced humorous and intelligent publications over the last 10 years, granting us access to a specific period in time in China. Lukas met Thomas in Paris at the Beijing Silvermine studio, and in their conversation, they unravel Thomas’ reflections on his work in the past, present, and future. Beijing Silvermine Thomas Sauvin Instagram Follow us on Instagram: @Vernacular Social Club @Lukas Birk Become a Vernacular Social Club member

In this episode, we delve into a talk event on Vernacular Photography that took place in November 2023. Our host, Lukas, was one of the speakers and has encapsulated a myriad of ideas, thoughts, and practices surrounding everyday imaging that were presented during the event. The talk was organized by the Eidolon Center in Budapest, a new institution that concentrates on vernacular, archives, and everyday imagery. They create a fantastic journal that showcases artists and academics actively working in the field. In this episode you will hear ideas by artists and academics such as Joanna Zylinska, Miklós Tamási, Geoffrey Batchen, Joachim Schmid and Annebella Pollen. Links to the podcast and event organized by the Eidolon Center Eidolon Center Fortepan Archive The Family Museum Whither the vernacular?Bilder von der Strasse & Other People’s PhotographsOn Our Photographic FutureLearning from photographic mistakes Analogue-digital encounters in photography Vernacular photography and the public Follow us on Instagram: @Vernacular Social Club @Lukas Birk Become a Vernacular Social Club member

In this episode, we meet Thweep Rittinaphakorn, also known as Ake, in Bangkok, and explore his collection of photographs from Myanmar during the colonial era. Ake is an expert in Myanmar textiles who ventured into collecting photography and released a photobook from a very different background. His collection is fascinating and multi-layered, as he doesn't approach his images from a pictorial point of view but rather through an examination of materiality. Find out more about Ake on his Instagram and check out his recently released book. UNSEEN BURMA Early Photography 1862-1962 Ake's InstagramOther subject mentioned: Shinbyu CeremonyMedia Links: Arrival of president U Nu in LondonStudent Demonstration 1988 Follow us on Instagram: @Vernacular Social Club @Lukas Birk Become a Vernacular Social Club member

This episode of The Photo Vault prompts us to question the world around us by examining product packaging, which often reinforces and perpetuates stereotypical norms in various aspects of our lives. Our guest, Annebella Pollen, a professor of Visual and Material Culture, author of numerous books, and an avid collector, delves into some of her projects, interests, and findings. Discover why a seemingly innocuous bikini advertisement can contribute to reinforcing stereotypes and why Annebella champions the rejects. Links to some of her publications are provided below, along with references to further contextualize our episode. -------- Books by Annebellla: Mass Photography Collective Histories of Everyday LifeMore Than A Snapshot: A Visual History of Photo WalletsPodcast Glass Eye: A Podcast on Visual Culture from South Asia: Kodak WomenOther Links Kodak AdvertBoots AdvertFollow us on Instagram: @Vernacular Social Club @Lukas Birk Become a Vernacular Social Club member

In this episode, we hear thoughts, ideas, and stories from writer, critic, educator, and artist Lucy Sante. She has a fascinating history and engagement with photography, writing on photography, and collecting. She has turned some of her collections into books and tells us about how she retrieved the photographs that went into titles such as 'Evidence.' She also touches upon subjects such as being a bilingual writer, which made her a better writer, and how vernacular photography changed her life. Below are links to her books and other works. Enjoy the conversation. Reference links: Hal Morgan & Andreas Brown- Prairie Fires and Paper Moons Lucy Santes WebsiteLuc Santes - Folk PhotographyLuc Santes - EvidenceLuc Sante on Charlie Rose about Low Life - some long time agoSpirit photographyInstagram I Heard Her Call My Name Follow us on Instagram: @Vernacular Social Club @Lukas Birk Become a Vernacular Social Club member

In this episode of The Photo Vault, we discuss with artist, photographer, and book publisher Joachim Schmid why he is not a collector but a gatherer. We also delve deep into computer history and Joachim’s first contact with Apple computers, as well as why he likes to create low-quality photobooks, explore Flickr, and engage in gardening. Joachim Schmid is one of the most influential artists working with found images and has been creating artwork, books, exhibitions, and text since the 1980s. His practice challenges traditional notions of authorship and ownership. Renowned for appropriating and repurposing found photographs, he transforms ordinary snapshots into profound reflections on culture and society. Through his extensive body of work, including projects like "Photogenetic Drafts" and "Other People's Photographs," Schmid investigates the vernacular image's role in shaping collective memory. Embracing ambiguity, his art blurs the lines between creator and curator, provoking viewers to reconsider the inherent value and meaning within everyday photographs. Enjoy the conversation, and if you want to learn more about vernacular photography, visit our website at www.vernacularsocialclub.org. Further links: Joachim Schmid WebsiteBilder von der StrasseFlickr (keyword Joachim Schmid) Follow us on Instagram: @Vernacular Social Club @Lukas Birk Become a Vernacular Social Club member

In today's Three Books that inspired you special, we hear Greek curator and writer Natasha Christia talk about the important role of literature in her work and also what inspired her in theoretical writing. Her three recommendations are: Emmanuel Carrère the civil contract of photographypotential history: unlearning imperialism Gülistan Find visuals to the books on our website www.vernacularsocialclub.org Follow us on Instagram: @Vernacular Social Club @Lukas Birk Become a Vernacular Social Club member

In this episode, we are meeting with Cemre Yeşil Gönenli, an Istanbul-born and -based artist, photographer, and educator. She gives us insight into her quest for finding the invisible through photography, by looking at what cannot be seen in images. Cemre also talks about the current difficult situation for artists in Turkey and why inflation makes it so challenging to run a photo bookshop. She opened FILbooks a few years ago, a photobook cafe in the heart of the city. One of her recent books, "Hayal & Hakikat: A Handbook of Forgiveness & A Handbook of Punishment," deals with photographs commissioned by Abdul Hamid II, the 34th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Find out in the conversation how she uses these archival materials to discuss the current political situation. Cemre also talks about becoming a mother while trying to maintain a rock 'n' roll lifestyle and why it is important to collaborate in this lonely field of photography. Find out more: Cemre’s website / Her Book shop Books: Hayal & Hakikat: A Handbook of Forgiveness & A Handbook of Punishment / For Birds sake News report Follow us on Instagram: @Vernacular Social Club @Lukas Birk Become a Vernacular Social Club member

In our first Three Books that inspired you special we asked Dutch artist Erik Kessels about photo-books that enriched his way of thinking The books are: Chantal Rens - YOU RUN AROUND TOWN LIKE A FOOL AND YOU THINK THAT IT'S GROOVY,Christian Boltanksi, KADISH. Sha kokken The love in sex lifeFind visuals to the books on our website www.vernacularsocialclub.org Follow us on Instagram: @Vernacular Social Club @Lukas Birk Become a Vernacular Social Club member

In this episode, we have the great pleasure to meet with Professor Geoffrey Batchen, an expert in the history of photography. He has taught in his native Australia, the United States, and currently holds a position at Oxford in the UK as a professor of the history of art. He has curated exhibitions in renowned institutions such as the ICP in New York, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and the Izu Photo Museum in Shizuoka, Japan. Geoffrey is one of the popularisers of the term Vernacular Photography through his extensive writing and involvement in the field. We recorded this conversation during a conference on Vernacular Photography organised by the Eidolon Centre in Budapest. Geoffrey talks about how to look at images, emphasising that there is no such thing as banal, and delves into the significance of smiles in photographs. He also touches on the question of where Vernacular fits in our historical narrative and discusses the dangers of assigning financial value to everyday images. Read more about Geoffrey Batchen's work. Geoffrey Batchen: Forget Me Not: Photography & Remembrance Negative/Positive A History of Photography book Apparitions: Photography and Dissemination book Vernacular photographies essay Further links: Eidolon Center Budapest Fortpan Archive Budapest Malick Sidibé Follow us on Instagram: @Vernacular Social Club @Lukas Birk Become a Vernacular Social Club member

Nous publions, donc nous existons ! Voici le premier épisode de The Photo Vault. Découvrez la proposition éditoriale de ce podcast, ainsi que la façon de vous engager auprès du Vernacular Social Club, votre plateforme dédiée à la photographie vernaculaire, aux archives photographiques, aux collections et aux livres de photos. Dans cette introduction, vous entendrez les voix du collectionneur, éditeur et artiste Jean-Marie Donat, ainsi que son point de vue sur le Vernaculaire. Lucy Sante, autrice, écrivaine et professeure, partagera également sa définition de la photographie vernaculaire. Nous discutons également de REVU, le tout nouveau magazine publié par le Vernacular Social Club. Référence: Interview avec Aldous Huxley Review of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 1939 New York World fair newsreel Golden Gate Bridge Opening Follow us on Instagram: @Vernacular Social Club @Lukas Birk Become a Vernacular Social Club member

We publish; therefore, we exist! This is our first episode of The Photo Vault. Find out what to expect from this podcast in the future, as well as how to engage with the Vernacular Social Club, your platform for Vernacular Photography, Archives, Collecting, and Photo-books. In this introduction, you will hear the voices of collector, editor, and artist Jean-Marie Donat, along with his views on the Vernacular. Also, author, writer, and professor Lucy Sante will share her definition of Vernacular photography. We also discuss REVU, the brand-new magazine that the Vernacular Social Club is releasing, with its first edition titled 'Brave New World' after Aldous Huxley's book of the same title Enjoy! References: Interview with Aldous Huxley Review of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 1939 New York World fair newsreel Golden Gate Bridge Opening Follow us on Instagram: @Vernacular Social Club @Lukas Birk Become a Vernacular Social Club member