“And so, Sira’s book dummies, in their idiosyncratic way, functioned as ventriloquists’ dummies do: as performative stand-ins. They allowed him not only to articulate what intrigued and concerned him, but to explore how the visual forms, language, and parameters of his interests might best be expressed….

"Curious about the ways similar groupings of photographic images that were sized, sequenced, and somewhat differently formatted would subtly change narratives, Sira began to rethink and remake some of his own books multiple times….

"Surprisingly and in retrospect, these books are striking for the nuanced ways they explore how re-contextualized photographic images, like memories revisited and songs re-sung, elicit new meanings and responses."—Marvin Heiferman, excerpts from exhibition catalogue

Photographers Shiori Kawasaki and Victor Sira founded bookdummypress [bdp] in 2011 with the aim of keeping the compelling authenticity of a traditional book dummy—a live artifact filled with creative layers and elements normally omitted from the final product—largely intact. Now bdp has opened a pop-up project space on Cooper Square, where their first exhibition, Bookdummies: An Imaginary Studio, a Non-stop Process 1993-2015 celebrates the book of the same title by co-founder Victor Sira—and the book dummies included in the publication.

As well as design and publication services, bdp also offers training in the art and production of making photo books. Although there are no events presently listed, on their website are over a dozen videos that shed light on the process of making books—from their own publications to historic Japanese models.

In one video, Kounosuke Hashiguchi, the owner of a second-hand bookstore in Tokyo, talks about his passion for Wahon—wood block printed books that date from 1300 years ago and include lively illustrations modeled on Ukiyo-e block prints. In the video he presents a guide book to the Kiso Road, a thoroughfare for travelers going from Kyoto to Edo. Asked what Wahon means to him, he replies, simply, that in books like this one you can “sense the depth and width of Japanese culture,” and it is his hope to pass on this knowledge to future generations.

Bookdummies: An Imaginary Studio, a Non-stop Process 1993-2015 continues through December 31 at the bdp pop-up store at 36 Cooper Square Project Space [same building as Village Voice, buzzer at 34 Cooper Square], NY, NY. Bookdummies: An Imaginary Studio, a Non-stop Process 1993-2015 by Victor Sira is available here

Info Photos courtesy bookdummypress