Zine Review: "Buried" by Daniel Staveley
It’s time to once again bring your eyes to another analog-based zine worthy of your time and attention, and now available online. From photographic artist, Daniel Staveley in the mighty country of Wales, U.K., comes Buried, slated as “A small book of abstracts” and “A selection of images and texts about a reflection on the inner monologue.”
Staveley is part of a thriving art scene in the town of Swansea, and spends his time as an analog photographer, educator, and is a founding member of the local Elysium Gallery. In addition to all of this, he has also run the ESPY Photography Award for the past eight years, awarding solo shows to photographers from all around the world. This is his latest project, incorporating his cameraless photograms with his words, and are a recent extension of his previous works as an artist.
This short, but well-produced zine is an examination of the in-between moments when we are lost in thought. Quite often these thoughts are reflecting a conversation strictly with ourselves, even while in the company of another, often formed as an unrelenting diatribe. These glimpses of organized chaos going can be compelled to sort out and put in order our responses - sometimes fluid, sometimes utterly and hopelessly disorganized. From what I’ve heard and read, not every member of the population is capable of forming these conversations with themselves, and for them, this zine would yield nothing but absolute confusion. All the more fascinating, if you ask me.
Staveley succinctly portrays these thoughts quite accurately (at least in my disheveled mind) and couples them with his abstract imagery. Very much like our thoughts, these photographs are multi-layered and contain a depth to them that requires time and effort. Each spread and combination of text and image requires that we consider the words with the accompanying photo to delve into our thought process and find a way to make sense of what we are seeing. In a way, each spread is a mental exercise that can be used to strengthen and validate one’s cranial synapses. The idea opens up what seems like a simple concept into a far more complex pattern that each of us processes differently. It would be my opinion that the takeaway from anyone reading through and absorbing these pages would gather something a little different than the next individual, and I see considerable value in that.
The appropriately titled, Buried, is very lo-fi and analog feeling in both its approach and execution. The text is written as from an actual typewriter with a set of flaws all its own. The photographs themselves created as prints processed after being burying photographic paper in the earth for both their exposure and their incredible texture. Simple and straightforward in its style, the soft laminate cover, matte interior pages, and staple binding are a wonderful setting for exploring the relationship of Staveley’s words and images.
The back cover of the zine lists the title as “buried #1”, so perhaps we will have the opportunity to see and collect future Buried titles as well. Let’s hope so.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Buried by Daniel Staveley
Self Published, 2020
A5
10 alternative abstract photographs
10 pages of text exploring the inner monologue
20 pages
Staple Bound
Cover: 250gsm silk soft to touch laminate
Pages: 150gsm uncoated paper
Designed and Edited by Daniel Staveley, 2020
Trade Edition - £9.50 | 75 numbered copies
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Daniel Staveley is a photographer working towards exhibitions using hybrid techniques to create digital images and produce prints using analog technology. Cameraless photography appears a lot in his practice, creating large-scale images in the landscape. He also have a fascination with multiple images and over the last two years have used this in all his work.
As a founding member of Elysium Gallery in Swansea, he has been running the ESPY Photography Award for the past eight years, awarding solo shows to photographers from all over the world. He has had the pleasure of working with Huw Alden Davies, Helen Sear, Peter Finnemore, Richard Billingham, the*kickplate*project, Michal Iwanowski, and Iain Davies.
Daniel is currently lecturing at Carmarthen School of Art UWTSD on the BA photography course and a pathway leader on the Visual Communication Foundation course.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Michael Kirchoff is a photographic artist, independent curator and juror, and advocate for the photographic arts. He has been a juror for Photolucida’s Critical Mass, and has reviewed portfolios for the Los Angeles Center of Photography’s Exposure Reviews and CENTER’s Review Santa Fe. Michael has been a contributing writer for Lenscratch, Light Leaked, and Don’t Take Pictures magazine. In addition, he spent ten years (2006-2016) on the Board of the American Photographic Artists in Los Angeles (APA/LA), producing artist lectures, as well as business and inspirational events for the community. Currently, he is also Editor-in-Chief at Analog Forever Magazine, Founding Editor for the online photographer interview website, Catalyst: Interviews, and a Contributing Editor for the column, Traverse, at One Twelve Publishing. Previously, Michael spent over four years as Editor at BLUR Magazine. Connect with Michael Kirchoff on his Website and Instagram!