Bookshelf Picks: Annie Masciavè on zines, aesthetics and photography
At London College of Communication (LCC), we support our students to become the future of the creative industries. We're proud to give them the tools they need to develop key critical and technical skills, to build their confidence, and to grow their professional networks. Our Industry Mentoring Scheme matches postgraduate students with experienced mentors who can offer helpful tips, information and advice on ways to kick-start their career. As the world navigates new ways of working, thinking and doing, we asked some of our mentors to suggest the books and resources that help them to stay inspired and stay creative throughout these challenging times.
Annie Masciavè
First up is Annie Masciavè, Art Buyer and Creative Producer at Made Thought.
Originally from Italy, Annie moved to London in 2012 to study on the MA Publishing course at LCC, and had a plan to make something of her paper obsession.
Over the past few years, she's worked for a range of different publications and brands including Interview, Dazed & Confused, and Lampoon, as well as for clients such as Kent & Curwen, Bulgari, ASOS and Frédéric Malle. When she’s not working, you can find her mentoring photography students at the College and through Mastered, editing videos for friends, or hunting for obscure zines across the web.
Ranging from exhibition catalogues to inspiring short essays, here are Annie's top five Bookshelf Picks.
1. 100 Chairs in 100 Days - Exhibition Catalogue from the Museum of Contemporary Art at Marugame, Japan (Dent-De-Leone, 2015)
"This is probably the most beautiful object I own. It's a Japanese exhibition catalogue of Martino Gamper's 100 Chairs in 100 Days. If you don't know this project, go check it out now! Martino's take on chairs (yes, chairs!) is the most inspiring thing ever - and both the design and make of this catalogue are insanely good."
2. Terrible People #1 (Oriane Pawlisiak, Yuting Huang and Jennifer Link, 2017)
"A playful and witty exploration of the dark side of human nature. I found this magazine when I attended the yearly MA Publishing magazine showcase at LCC in 2017, and it was love at first sight.
Over the past couple of years, I've found myself going back to it again and again whenever I need to look at things from a different, fresher perspective. It's also a great reminder to not take yourself too seriously."
3. Salento Moderno - An Inventory of Private Houses in Southern Puglia (Humboldt Books, 2018)
"I found this publication during the last OffPrint Fair at Tate Modern. A group of Italian curators, architects, photographers and scholars put this book together to explore the surprising variety of contemporary architectural styles found in Southern Puglia. It's primarily a photography book, dotted by a few incredibly interesting essays.
This book feels very personal to me because it makes me go back to landscapes of my childhood in a matter of a few seconds."
4. In Praise of Shadows (Junichirō Tanizaki: Vintage Books, 1977)
"This is a tiny but really inspiring 50-page essay that has always surprised me with its simplicity. It discusses aesthetics in the most accessible way, even for someone who has the attention span of a goldfish, like me.
Definitely a refreshing read if you're looking for something inspiring, but not too heavy."
5. Pylot: The Autonomy Issue 08 (SS18)
"Pylot is a London-based independent magazine which not only shows analogue photography, but doesn’t use any beauty retouching.
I'm particularly attached to this issue because there's some amazing photography by Ed Templeton, one of my favourite artists of all time. Even just his cover image is so magnetic... I've had it hanging from a wall in my room since I bought it."
Related links:
- Visit Annie's website to check out her work.
- Explore the MA Publishing course at LCC.
- Find out more about our Industry Mentoring Scheme.
Written by Chloe Murphy
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London College of Communication, UAL
- Education & Research