United Kingdom –
Angus Fraser (b. 1975, UK) wins the Bar Tur Photobook Award 2014 in its inaugural year.
The Bar Tur Photobook Award is an exciting new partnership between The Photographers’ Gallery and entrepreneur and philanthropist Amnon Bar-Tur. This annual award will offer an emerging photographer the chance to publish their first book with The Photographers’ Gallery and Trolley Books in 2015.
Santa Muerte @ Angus Fraser
Fraser won for his documentary project Santa Muerte which follows members of the Mexican cult of the same name. His images include portraits of believers, spiritual leaders, shrines, private and public altars, paraphernalia, prayers, ceremonies, and street gatherings. His work examines the contrast between Western and Mesoamerican perception and acceptance of death.
The increasing interest in photobooks – evidenced through the proliferation of dedicated exhibitions, the self-publishing phenomenon, Tumblr groups and Book Fairs – reflects a growing and dynamic trend towards recognizing the photobook as a primary creative force in contemporary photographic practices.
The Award is open to all photographers and artists who have not yet published a book (self-published excepted) and are either studying or have graduated from a UK-based visual arts course within the last five years. Applicants are not required to be living in the UK.
Submissions will be judged by a panel of experts; Brett Rogers, Director, The Photographers’ Gallery; Amnon Bar Tur; David Chandler, writer and curator; Nadav Kander, photographer; Caroline Metcalfe, Photographic Director, Condé Nast Traveller Magazine; Professor Chris Wainwright, Head of Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon Colleges and Hannah Watson, Director, Trolley Books.
This is a three-year initiative during which The Photographers’ Gallery will be collaborating with a different UK-based independent publisher each year. This Award was established with the generous support of Amnon and Armon Bar-Tur and family in memory of late wife and mother, the British Artist Ann Lesley Bar-Tur (1947-1984).
