JTF (just the facts): Self-published in 2024 by Helions (here). Hardcover (28.9 x 38 cm), 64 pages, with 36 black-and-white and color photographs. Production and design by Matt Willey and the artist. In an edition of 2000 copies. (Cover and spread shots below.)
Also available in a softcover children’s edition (here), 25 x 17 cm, unbound, 64 pages, with 38 black-and-white and color photographs. Production and design by Matt Willey and the artist. In an edition of 2000 copies. (Cover and spread shots below.)
Comments/Context: Imagination and playfulness energize the work of the London-based photographer Jack Davison, and his masterful use of shadow, light, and contrast further brings out the drama and mystery in the everyday. Raised in rural Essex, Davison is self-taught, and started making photographs at the age of fifteen. In his early years, he spent a lot of his time experimenting with cameras, and his work was formatively shaped by online platforms like Flickr and Tumblr (his window to photography at that time) that encouraged his improvisation and play. More recently, he has published several photobooks with Loose Joints, including Ol Pejeta (reviewed here), which delivers expressive portraits of the last remaining northern white rhinos and their caretaker, presented in a thoughtfully made photobook that reinforces their presence.
A is for Ant is Davison’s most recent project, and it is a contemporary Surrealist celebration of children’s alphabet books. In bringing this concept to life, each letter of the alphabet has been represented by an animal or insect, playfully characterized by both actors and live creatures and styled in the inventive spirit of the modern avant-garde. In crafting the project, Davison collaborated with Shona Heath, a production designer, who created the sets and costume designs. The resulting images led to two separate photobooks: an oversized hardcover version, and a smaller publication printed on newsprint and intended for children encouraging them to draw, fold, and add their ideas. There is also a short film that accompanies the books.
A large letter “Z” in a black font appears on the white cover of the book, and the title is placed on the top of the letter while the artist’s name is on the lower part, both in red. A red arrow continues from the back cover where the letter “A” is positioned. Tiny drawings of ants appear on the back side, and one sneaks around to the front, offering a playful introduction to the book. The photobook opens with red endpapers (also sprinkled with ants) that match the arrow on the cover. Inside, the book is, not surprisingly, structured in the order of the alphabet, with each letter supported by a spread (or more) with photographs. The associated photographs are alternately in color and in black-and-white, and vary in size and position on the pages. A simple list of captions and credits appears at the very end. Overall, the book feels well produced and exciting to interact with.
The gritty shadows, harsh contrasts, and mystery often found in Davison’s photographs reappear here, and these elements translate well into the concept of A is for Ant. The book begins with the letter “A” (most likely hand painted), which appears in light grey against a black background, and the text under it reads “is for Ant”. The black and white photograph on the right shows a man dressed as an ant. His black outfit looks quite surreal, as he holds two sticks that serve as the ant’s antennae. As we turn the page, a blurred close up of the same figure takes up the entire right page. A couple of spreads later, the letter “D” is represented by a dog. The associated photograph shows two small dogs, and one stands in the center with its legs exaggeratedly extended, with the shadow to its left making the setup even more dramatic. In page after page, there’s a quirk in each photo.
In one spread, there is a small square photo of a praying mantis posing on a nail; then a snake twists around a pole and a tortoise is theatrically performed in a costume made with aluminum foil plates. The visual flow of the book is rather unpredictable, offering surprises with almost every turn of a page as Davison moves fluidly between styles, making the experience particularly fun. His artistic approach sways between crisp sharp details, and dissolving mirages. A color photograph of a blurry ladybird (played by a child) shot from the back appears against a blue background (for the letter “L”); in the following page, the ladybird takes the entire page, out of focus, obscure and weird, but also striking. Later, there is a portrait of a man shot against a light purple background and a quail is seated on his bald head (for the letter “Q”). The very last letter “Z” stands for “zoo”, and here Davison creates a collage of all the characters featured earlier in the book, overlaying them and placing them against a black background in a square format photograph.
The children’s version of the book has a black cover and the letter “A” in gold appears on the front, with the name of the artist and the title placed inside the letterform. Printed on newsprint paper, the book is unbound and is held together by a red string. It opens with a list of suggestions for how to use it, and some of them include “bend”, “crumple”, “doodle”, “lick”, “tear”, “zigzag”, etc. The book has the essentially same format as the grown-up version, yet the captions appear in various positions and the selection of photographs is slightly different. It is definitely curious to see how the same project functions in two different constructions.
There is a lush playfulness to Davison’s visual vocabulary that makes this book truly captivating. A is for Ant is an imaginative and clever project, filled with unexpectedly striking photographs, all wrapped up in a tightly thoughtful photobook design. It’s undoubtedly one of the most joyful and surreal photobooks recently published.
Collector’s POV: Jack Davison is represented by Cob Gallery in London (here). His work has little secondary market history at this point, so gallery retail likely remains the best option for those collectors interested in following up.
