Jem Southams Painters Pool

Book Layout/ Info-
Published 2006
36 four-color illustrations
10x12

During last weeks feedback the group briefly looked at Jem Southams' Painters Pool book. The photographs in the book are taken in Stoke Woods in the South East of England. For a painter named Mike Garton the woods became his studio and a huge inspiration for his paintings. For about two decades every day Garton would capture the woodland on canvas. He would leave his canvas' in a hidden den he made in the wood. He constructed a pool where a tree had fallen across a stream, and secretly tended it for many years. Jem came across his den and pool and decided to record it through photographs and in this book. The early photographs in the book show signs of Gartons den and presence through factors such as fallen trees, easels and wooden poles. Mike Garton developed an illness that stopped him painting the scenes therefore in Jems images his presence disappears. 

Front cover with bold colour to draw in audience. No text only image to give a taste of the photographic content of the book. 

Frequent double page spread in the book, involving two photographs of very similar scenes. Very small captions under each photograph letting viewer know when the image taken. Each double page spread has photograph which continue from left image. I really like the use of white framing, I hop to use this in my book to give spacing and it makes the viewer focus on the photograph and notice the caption. The small font of the title is used so that the photograph is looked at first. 

Single photograph with blank left page to show a gap in the season in which she didn't photograph. Could signify the change from Autumn to Winter? 

The photographs show small hints at the presence of Mike Garton. The images are themselves quite similar it makes us look at the slight changes.

The text telling the viewer of the context of the work (it being a document of Mike Gartons "studio" is left until the viewer has looked at the photographs, it creates intrigue into the purpose of the work. Also when you have read about the context it makes the viewer go back and re look at the changes/ significance.