Edmund Clark - Signed - My Shadow's Reflection - 2017
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Edmund Clark — Signed - My Shadow's Reflection, a 1st edition hardback photography book (70 pages, 30 × 25 cm), in English and published by Ikon, signed by the author and in as new condition.
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Description from the seller
Published to accompany Edmund Clark's three-year residency at HMP Grendon, Europe's only fully therapeutic prison, *My Shadow's Reflection* is one of the photographer's most compelling explorations of incarceration, rehabilitation, and representation. Rather than documenting prison life through familiar visual conventions, Clark constructs a nuanced body of work that questions how individuals deprived of their freedom can be seen, understood, and represented.
Unlike conventional documentary projects, the book avoids sensationalism and instead focuses on the unique environment of Grendon, where inmates voluntarily commit to an intensive programme of group therapy and collective responsibility in an effort to understand the causes of their crimes and reduce the likelihood of reoffending. This unusual context fundamentally shapes both the project and the visual language Clark employs.
The publication brings together three distinct photographic approaches. Stark architectural views reveal the controlled spaces of the prison, while delicate studies of flowers and plants growing within its grounds introduce an unexpected sense of fragility and renewal. Most striking are the portraits of the prisoners, produced with a pinhole camera during six-minute exposures. As the men answered questions about their lives, their offences and their therapeutic journey, every movement became part of the image, transforming conventional portraiture into ghostly, blurred representations that preserve anonymity while conveying a profound psychological presence.
A particularly compelling aspect of the book is the inclusion of the prisoners' own words. Printed on a sequence of green pages at the centre of the volume, their reflections provide a direct counterpart to the photographs, allowing the participants to shape their own narratives rather than simply becoming subjects observed through the camera. This dialogue between image and testimony gives the publication an emotional and intellectual depth that extends far beyond traditional documentary photography.
Beautifully designed by Ben Weaver Studio and published by Here Press in collaboration with Ikon Gallery, *My Shadow's Reflection* is conceived as an artist's book rather than a conventional exhibition catalogue. The careful sequencing, refined production and thoughtful integration of text and image reinforce Clark's intention to create an object that continues the conversation beyond the gallery space.
Quietly powerful and deeply considered, *My Shadow's Reflection* stands as one of the most significant contemporary Photography Books addressing the realities of imprisonment. It demonstrates Edmund Clark's remarkable ability to combine conceptual rigour with visual sensitivity, producing a work that challenges assumptions about justice, rehabilitation and the role photography can play in making hidden worlds visible.
Seller's Story
Dartbooks is a specialized photography bookshop based in Barcelona, dedicated to photobooks, rare and out-of-print editions, and historically significant publications. With a strong focus on Japanese photography, Dartbooks was founded to provide continuity to a field that requires depth, expertise, and careful curation.
The bookshop was established after the closure of Kowasa, a landmark reference for photography books in Spain. Its disappearance left a clear gap for photographers, collectors, and institutions in need of a space with a serious and knowledgeable approach to the photobook. Dartbooks emerged in response to that need, not as a replacement, but as part of the natural evolution of a cultural ecosystem.
Dartbooks operates with a curatorial mindset, shaped by long-term engagement with photography and book collecting. The project functions as a book hunting platform for collectors, professionals, and libraries worldwide, and also provides advisory support to other bookshops seeking to develop coherent and specialized photography collections.
The catalogue includes new publications, rare and out-of-print titles, monographs, retrospectives, self-published works, signed copies, and editions produced directly by photographers through their own imprints. The selection reflects a sustained commitment to photography as a form of visual narration, where images construct meaning beyond text.
Although rooted in the Gràcia neighbourhood of Barcelona, Dartbooks serves an international audience. Its community includes collectors, professionals, and institutions from France, the United Kingdom, Japan, and beyond, both through the physical space and the online platform.
Dartbooks understands the photobook not merely as an object of consumption, but as a cultural artifact that documents artistic practices, historical contexts, and personal visions. The bookshop functions simultaneously as a place of discovery, an archive in constant growth, and a point of connection between photographers, publishers, and readers.
Published to accompany Edmund Clark's three-year residency at HMP Grendon, Europe's only fully therapeutic prison, *My Shadow's Reflection* is one of the photographer's most compelling explorations of incarceration, rehabilitation, and representation. Rather than documenting prison life through familiar visual conventions, Clark constructs a nuanced body of work that questions how individuals deprived of their freedom can be seen, understood, and represented.
Unlike conventional documentary projects, the book avoids sensationalism and instead focuses on the unique environment of Grendon, where inmates voluntarily commit to an intensive programme of group therapy and collective responsibility in an effort to understand the causes of their crimes and reduce the likelihood of reoffending. This unusual context fundamentally shapes both the project and the visual language Clark employs.
The publication brings together three distinct photographic approaches. Stark architectural views reveal the controlled spaces of the prison, while delicate studies of flowers and plants growing within its grounds introduce an unexpected sense of fragility and renewal. Most striking are the portraits of the prisoners, produced with a pinhole camera during six-minute exposures. As the men answered questions about their lives, their offences and their therapeutic journey, every movement became part of the image, transforming conventional portraiture into ghostly, blurred representations that preserve anonymity while conveying a profound psychological presence.
A particularly compelling aspect of the book is the inclusion of the prisoners' own words. Printed on a sequence of green pages at the centre of the volume, their reflections provide a direct counterpart to the photographs, allowing the participants to shape their own narratives rather than simply becoming subjects observed through the camera. This dialogue between image and testimony gives the publication an emotional and intellectual depth that extends far beyond traditional documentary photography.
Beautifully designed by Ben Weaver Studio and published by Here Press in collaboration with Ikon Gallery, *My Shadow's Reflection* is conceived as an artist's book rather than a conventional exhibition catalogue. The careful sequencing, refined production and thoughtful integration of text and image reinforce Clark's intention to create an object that continues the conversation beyond the gallery space.
Quietly powerful and deeply considered, *My Shadow's Reflection* stands as one of the most significant contemporary Photography Books addressing the realities of imprisonment. It demonstrates Edmund Clark's remarkable ability to combine conceptual rigour with visual sensitivity, producing a work that challenges assumptions about justice, rehabilitation and the role photography can play in making hidden worlds visible.
Seller's Story
Dartbooks is a specialized photography bookshop based in Barcelona, dedicated to photobooks, rare and out-of-print editions, and historically significant publications. With a strong focus on Japanese photography, Dartbooks was founded to provide continuity to a field that requires depth, expertise, and careful curation.
The bookshop was established after the closure of Kowasa, a landmark reference for photography books in Spain. Its disappearance left a clear gap for photographers, collectors, and institutions in need of a space with a serious and knowledgeable approach to the photobook. Dartbooks emerged in response to that need, not as a replacement, but as part of the natural evolution of a cultural ecosystem.
Dartbooks operates with a curatorial mindset, shaped by long-term engagement with photography and book collecting. The project functions as a book hunting platform for collectors, professionals, and libraries worldwide, and also provides advisory support to other bookshops seeking to develop coherent and specialized photography collections.
The catalogue includes new publications, rare and out-of-print titles, monographs, retrospectives, self-published works, signed copies, and editions produced directly by photographers through their own imprints. The selection reflects a sustained commitment to photography as a form of visual narration, where images construct meaning beyond text.
Although rooted in the Gràcia neighbourhood of Barcelona, Dartbooks serves an international audience. Its community includes collectors, professionals, and institutions from France, the United Kingdom, Japan, and beyond, both through the physical space and the online platform.
Dartbooks understands the photobook not merely as an object of consumption, but as a cultural artifact that documents artistic practices, historical contexts, and personal visions. The bookshop functions simultaneously as a place of discovery, an archive in constant growth, and a point of connection between photographers, publishers, and readers.
Details
Number of books
1
Subject
Photography
Book title
Signed - My Shadow's Reflection
Author/ Illustrator
Edmund Clark
Condition
As new
Publication year oldest item
2017
Height
30 cm
Edition
1st Edition
Width
25 cm
Language
English
Original language
Yes
Publisher
Ikon
Binding/ Material
Hardback
Extras
Signed by author
Number of pages
70
