The first time I encountered Stephen Gill’s A Series of Disappointments, I had the feeling of deja vu. Like “wait, I’ve seen these before, why do they look so familiar?”
Yes, I have photographed discarded gambling slips too. Haven’t you?
But how many of us have the audacity to say, “Wait, this is a series, and I’m going to publish it”?
Gill did and I suspect he will continue doing what I respect him for – the single-mindedness.
How ‘mad’ is he? Mad enough to set up Nobody Books, a publishing company that allows him maximum control of his practice. Apart from this, he has self-published many more titles which I will also write about in due course.
That arrangement, I assume, means he is always having to find the funds to take the risks, on top of having to keep his creative juices flowing, which I believe is the least of his concerns.
That I have total respect for.
The creative world needs bravehearts like him so we don’t end up being driven only by commercial concerns.
The more I look at artists like Gill, the more hopeful I feel.
