Open Book exhibition at Ramp Gallery, Hamilton, New Zealand

The photograph on a wall, often framed or impossibly glossy, asks the viewer to step back and admire, but not to touch. This exhibition at Ramp Gallery explores the photograph in a more tactical and, perhaps, down-to-earth way. Open Book brings a group of commissioned photo-books, set out in the style of a reading room, into the gallery. Inviting visitors to sit, flick, rummage and enjoy. The reading of a photo-book becomes a slower experience than is often afforded in the walk through of a gallery space. Within the pages of the photo-book each artist also enjoys a heightened sense of control. The paper-stock chosen, the format, the length and the pacing of the photographs all contribute to the reading experience. Open Book has been shown in three spaces before this (its last) outing at Ramp Gallery. Some of the pages are beginning to look dog-eared and used. This can only add to the sense of permission and enticement to take the time to experience these beautiful works