Steidling the show

Delhi gallery Photo Ink brings the world's finest photo-book publisher Steidl to India. A bookstore at its premises will sell rare photography books

Delhi gallery Photo Ink brings the world's finest photo-book publisher Steidl to India. A bookstore at its premises will sell rare photography books

The mark of a great book is that it conjures images of the story it weaves, as if the words are but pictures.

And the mark of a great picture book, that it can give rise to endless novels, with any number of words falling short to say what you see. German publishing house Steidl believes in bringing out works of the latter kind, and is thus seen as the last word in photo-book publishing. And, the good news is, it's just taken its first steps into the country, at gallery Photoink in the capital.

Print panther

The lady who made it happen is Devika Daulet-Singh, the mastermind behind the gallery.u00a0 "It's a privilege to be associated with Steidl. Their reputation for making the most beautiful photography books is legendary, and that's what wanted me to bring them home. It'll be an opportunity for photographers, students, photography lovers, curators and collectors to engage with the works of many influential and contemporary photographers across the world through these titles," she smiles. Established in 1996, Steidl, independently operated by its founding owner Gerhard Steidl, holds rights for most renowned photographers and artists across the globe, including Joel Sternfeld, Mitch Epstein and Richard Serra. It also designs and prints for fashion houses like Chanel, Fendi, Elizabeth Arden and Yohji Yamamoto. "But we are concentrating only on photography titles here," Singh stresses.

What's more, exclusivity comes at a discount here. The gallery has gathered 70 titles, including latest, old and out-of-print ones. The total number of copies shipped so far: 600. And the dangling carrot: discounts of 10 to 25 per cent.

The outlet is the 13th 'Steidlville', after those in Hong Kong, London, Barcelona, New York, Paris, and Rome, among other art-loving centres. And the future only holds more. "In a year's time, we'll see significant expansion. Steidl produces 100 titles every year, so depending on the success, we would stock more soon. We're also all set to go online sometime not far, and would be displaying these masterpieces at the upcoming India Art Summit in Delhi."

2 The Roma, Sinti, Calu00e9 and other ethnic groups collectively referred to as Gypsies form the largest minority in Europe. Scattered across the globe, they live in almost every part of the world, each group marked by a distinct language, culture and situation. Cia Rinne and Joakim Eskildsen travelled to seven different countries between 2000 and 2006 to meet Roma, often staying with families for long periods in order to learn about their life, their culture, and their situation. In The Roma Journeys, Joakim Eskildsen documents what they found. And bagged several awards.

3 Fazal Sheikh's photographs in Moksha capture the meditative mood of Vrindavan. His portraits of the widows convey their sense of acceptance of life nearing its end and a longing for what is to come the ultimate dream to reach Moksha.u00a0 As in his previous books, Sheikh spent time with his subjects, listening to their stories, many of which reveal the suffering caused by traditions that still govern Indian society.

4 Gerda Taro; the book is also called by the same name, was the first woman photojournalist to shoot war pictures. Lover and photographic partner of famed photojournalist Robert Capa, Taro is often credited for launching Capa's career as his manager. The couple covered much of the Spanish Civil War side-by-side. Taro was killed in July 1937, while photographing a crucial battle near Madrid.

How Steidl started
Gerhard Steidl began working as a designer and printer in 1967, when he was just 17 years old. On the occasion of an Andy Warhol exhibition in Cologne the following year, Steidl approached the artist. Fascinated by the intensity and saturated colours of Warhol's work, Steidl asked about his silkscreen printing technique. Giddily he returned to his hometown of Gu00f6ttingen, two hours north of Frankfurt, and set up his first printing studio, following the principle of "learning by doing".

Steidl started out printing posters for art exhibitions, and it did not take long before Joseph Beuys, Klaus Staeck and other artists were among his customers. And within a few years he recognised that, for him, printing was not just a mechanical process but it had become his passion and an art in itself. In 1972, the first Steidl book, "Befragung zur documenta" ("Questioning documenta") was published. From 1974, Steidl added political non-fiction to his program. In the early 1980s, he expanded into literature and selected art and photography books.Gerhard still sees himself as the artist's and author's ally, helping him or her "to do magic", to realise their creative dreams, and to get them out to the readers.

Show-sha
Just to give a guided taste of what waits to be savoured, Photoink has come up with an exhibition of its newest additions.u00a0 There are 34 desks where visitors can sit and browse through the hardbacks in peace. "There is a scarcity of good platforms for people to access these rich, insightful photography books," Devika laments, reinstating the purpose of her project.

13th Steidlville
Where: Photoink Gallery, MGF Hyundai Building,
1 Faiz Road, Ground Floor, Jhandewalan, New Delhi
Call: 28755940-41
When: Exhibition is on till September 5. Books will be available thereafter, too
Timings: 11 am to 7 pm (Sundays closed)
Entry: Free

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