This series features interviews with independent photobook publishers. This month’s interview is with, Vilma Samulionyté and Gytis Skudžinskas of NoRoutine Books.
Guten Tag by Liebe Oma
Don’t Take Pictures: How would you describe NoRoutine Books to someone who has never seen your books?
NoRoutine Books: For sure we are not traditional publishing house. We usually say it is an experimental publishing platform where artist, publisher, and printer are collaborating. We try to expand the limits of the book and also the contexts of the artwork. We make limited edition artist books up to 99 copies and this lets the artwork live longer than in the exhibition space—like a continuation of an exposition, just in different space. We could describe our publications as objects between artist book and monograph. We have elements of both but we do not identify with either. We could call ourselves press fetishists, but we like to experiment and discover new and unbelievable connections between today’s printing possibilities and traditional binding techniques, silkscreen, offset and handmade elements.
DTP: What series of events led you to start your own publishing house?
NRB: Gytis is a book designer and he wanted to have a publishing house for a long time. When he opened his exhibition in 2014, we also published a book with the exhibition named ALBUM. It was really successful. So, we say that was our first publication even though at that time the company was just an idea.
ALBUM by Gytis Skudzinskas
DTP: How do you find photographers that you want to work with and how do you determine what might make a good photo book?
NRB: There are different ways of finding an author we would like to publish. Most of them we know and we like their work. And when we approach them, usually they are just happy about that. Foreign artists we find during portfolio reviews or through different events. For example, we initiated a prize in Riga Photography Biennale—a book publication for a young artist/photographer. We have already published three artists. All of the books turned out really well—one is sold out completely and two others are almost gone from our shelves also.
We look at an art project to see if it can become a book, if it has the possibility to transform and stay as effective in the book format as it was in its original form. It is important to us that the author is ready to turn his artwork into a publication and work with us in rethinking the format without losing the message. The book should not just be a collection of reproductions and information, but should further the message of the artist as independent form of printed matter.
DTP: Have there been any books that have been particularly rewarding to produce or that you felt a special kinship with?
NRB: The first book is always special. To work on your own book is always special. We produce few but really thought through publications. They all are so different and special, of course. It’s like another artwork for the artwork. I feel with all of them a special connection and could talk about all of them a lot.
Staged Pictures by Audrius Puipa/Gintautas Timakas
DTP: What are some forthcoming titles are you particularly excited about?
NRB: During quarantine time we held an open call for book publication. There were a lot of submissions but we finally managed a shortlist of three artists. We contacted all of them and thought we would be able to choose one. But it didn’t happen. So, we examined our resources and decided to publish all three: Quintin Teszeri, Anthony Hawley, and Barbara Pearsall. We are really excited to see those books.
DTP: What was one of the most challenging books that you have published and why?
NRB: That probably would be Arunas Kulikauskas’ Photoobjects. It has a wooden cover with Polaroid lift on it. It is completely handmade. It was printed in sheets and everything else was done manually. It was very time consuming and also required skills since it has a sewn-in coptic binding, folding out pages, and silkscreened parts. And in the end, it became one beautiful, compact book.
Photoobjects by Arūnas Kulikauskas
DTP: It seems that an increasing number of photographers, at all stages of their careers, are looking to publish a book. What should photographers think about before they embark on the book process?
NRB: They should think if they really need a book and if this project will be the best reflected in the book form. There is an amazing amount of ways to present your work and it isn’t always as a book.
Visit the NoRoutine Books website to learn more about their books.