Monday 16 July 2012

Henrik Malmström



I'll admit that one of the main reasons I started blogging back in 2007 was self promotion. It wasn't the only reason I also wanted to get a good go to link list of photographers who's work I liked, but mainly it was about getting a presence on the web. That probably reached it's peak a couple of years in, ran it's course, achieved as much as a blog by someone who is not part of the photo/art establishment can. "Hits" stats are fairly constant at around 9k a month so I'm not complaining but as a PR tool for yours truly it's maxed out. 
So that brings me to why I still bother. One reason is I like most artists love the sound of my own voice. The other increasingly important reason is that I get to meet, hear about and interact with all kinds of tip top folk. Over the years I've met and maintained friendships with photographers/artists from the other side of the world as well as just down the road. I also on occasion get smashing free stuff. Henrik Malmström continues that tradition. Henrik contacted me and asked if he could do swopsey's with my book 'Art is Godd'. he was offering his book 'On Borrowed Time' I nearly snatched his virtual hand off.



It's not an easy book. I was immediately transported to a very private family experience, cancer. Strangely enough it was a family situation that was very much at the forefront of my mind as it was almost twelve months to the day that my family were in the same situation as we watched my Father fall to "The big C" .  Henrik's moving series goes beyond being a darkly beautiful and touching personal tribute to his sister Maija and becomes a document of a shared human experience.


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