The Poetic Archive: Photography, Everyday Life and the Tactic of Self-Publishing

Abstract

Preston is my Paris was co-founded by Adam Murray and Robert Parkinson in June 2009. The project originally began as a photocopied zine specifically focussing on the city of Preston but has since developed into a multi-faceted photographic archive consisting of 40 self-published works that address themes relating to everyday life and social consciousness. In contrast to other photographic investigations of everyday life which often result in gallery exhibitions or lavishly produced books, Murray and Parkinson intentionally appropriate vernacular methods of production and print materials such as photocopying and newsprint with the aim to produce an archive that deliberately intends to engage with an audience beyond the conventional art world. This paper discusses this body of work and the role that the tactic of self-publishing has in a contemporary photographic context.