January 10th, 2013
Remembering Gigi Giannuzzi
The end of 2012 was a sad one for the photography community with the loss of Trolley Books publisher Gigi Giannuzzi. (Read the Guardian’s obituary here.) The photobook community is small and passionate, and Gigi was a true maverick within it. He was a courageous publisher, known for championing hard-hitting projects that challenged viewers. He was also a maverick character—in a passionate, mad-genius kind of way. No matter the subject or the photographer, Gigi knew how to make a beautiful book. As chaotic and larger-than-life as his persona and presence were, his books provide a quiet place of ordered and nuanced complexity. The selection, the sequencing, and the pacing of his books are flawless. There are never too many pictures, and the books achieve a kind of simplicity that looks easy but is incredibly difficult to pull off. He knew how to shape a story and to engage viewers page to page over a sustained period of looking. The books he published continue to unfold over multiple readings. His talent as a bookmaker and especially his belief in photography and photographers will be missed. He leaves behind an important and lasting legacy. Here is a selection of a few of our favorite books he helped bring into the world.
Update, January 14: A memorial exhibition, Trolleyology: The First Ten Years of Trolley Books, will be on view at Londonewcastle Project Space, 28 Redchurch Street, London, from January 18 to January 27. For more information, visit the Trolley Books website.
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Denise Wolff is senior editor of Aperture’s book-publishing program.
