Whatever You Say, Say Nothing
Gilles Peress
Steidl
English
Softcover and Hardcover
First Edition
1960 pages
197 x 260mm
2021
ISBN 9783958295445
In 1972, at the age of 26, Gilles Peress photographed the British Army’s massacre of Irish civilians on Bloody Sunday. In the 1980s he returned to the North of Ireland, intent on testing the limits of visual language and perception to understand the intractable conflict. Whatever You Say, Say Nothing, a work of “documentary fiction,” organizes a decade of photographs across 22 fictional “days” to articulate the helicoidal structure of history during a conflict that seemed like it would never end—where each day became a repetition of every other day like that day: days of violence, of marching, of riots, of unemployment, of mourning, and also of craic, where you try to forget your condition.
Held back for 30 years and now eagerly anticipated, this ambitious publication takes the language of documentary photography to its extremes, then challenges the reader to stop and resolve the puzzle of meaning for themself.
(source: https://steidl.de/Books/Whatever-You-Say-Say-Nothing-1216314559.html)
Description of Form
Housed in a tote bag and weighing over 15 kg, this publication is made up of two clothbound hardcover books and a softcover copy of Annals of the North. They are ota bound and contained within archival grade cardboard boxes.
About the Artist
Gilles Peress is a French photographer and a member of Magnum Photos. Peress began working with photography in 1970, having previously studied political science and philosophy in Paris.
(source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilles_Peress)
About the Publisher
Gerhard Steidl began working as a printer and designer in 1968. From political non-fiction he then expanded into literature and selected books on art and photography. Steidl publishes German literature as well as translations from French, English and Icelandic. In 1994 Steidl launched its international photobook program. Today it includes some of the world’s most renowned photographers and artists including Joel Sternfeld, Bruce Davidson, Robert Frank, Robert Adams, Karl Lagerfeld, Lewis Baltz, Dayanita Singh, Ed Ruscha, Roni Horn and Juergen Teller, to name but a few. Every Steidl book distinguishes itself through individual design and production values. Known for his passion for paper, printer and publisher Gerhard Steidl personally selects the paper and binding materials for each title and oversees all aspects of the production process – each Steidl book literally passes through his hands. Over the decades Steidl at Düstere Strasse 4 in Göttingen has become one of the most respected printers in the international publishing world. Whether photography, art, fashion or literature, it is Steidl’s goal to realize the dreams and goals of artists and authors, and to create art in book form.
steidl.de
(source: https://steidl.de/Artists/Gerhard-Steidl-0102055560.html)
Further Information
Unboxing video of Whatever You Say, Say Nothing.
