Stephen ShoreWitness Number One

"Magazines and books are generally edited and designed by unseen hands, hands that are often limited by the ideas and agendas of the publisher. What if, we thought, an artist was not only the primary focus of each issue in this biannual series, but - as "guest editor" - was responsible for the design of its cover and much of its contents as well? Stephen Shore is in the midst of creating a series of small, one-off or limited edition books, which will serve as "visual time cap-sules." As Shore himself is exploring the basic ideas of what a book is, and marrying new technologies to age-old concepts, he is the perfect choice for Witness Number One. About the title: Daido Moriyama and Michael Kenna gave a joint presentation in Tokyo earlier this year on their mutual passion for Japan's northernmost Island, Hokkaido, and their experiences in photographing there. During the presentation, Moriyama more than once described himself as a "witness" rather than a participant in the events that he captures on film. The idea of being a witness - of transcending the importance of "self' and instead focusing on what one sees in one's surroundings - has deep roots reaching all the way back to the very beginnings of picture making and our cavemen ancestors. It is an apt title for this series."

- Foreword of the issue 

Index: Martin Parr:  Interesting Photography Books About Which Very Little is Known,  Stephen Shore: Artist as Witness,  Stephen Shore in Conversation with Jeff Rosenheim, Stephen Shore Presents Shannon Ebbner, Jamie O'Shea and Laura Gail Tvler, IGS Activities Overview.