What happens when you create books – real, prop-against-your-knees, bask-in-the-scent-of-the-pages books – but the universe is e-reading? As the publishing industry continues to suffer the swipes of Kindles and iPads, the few books managing to make the shelves are aimed to please as many palettes as possible. So what happens when you want to create books that are, well, not quite vanilla? You start your own publishing company.
Native Montrealer Ian Sternthal was 25 when he created his first book. The Huleh Project is a collectors item, an amalgamation of stunning imagery, textures, holograms, and transparencies. A coffee table book to outdo all others. So why weren’t publishers like Taschen and Assouline begging for Sternthal’s pages? “Taschen publishes big penises. That’s what sells,” jokes Sternthal. “They don’t like niche markets and particularities.” The Huleh Project is particular, to say the least. A political picture book, the project focuses on the identity of Israel, Zionism, and the idea of re-invention.
Sternthal managed to secure a book deal for The Huleh Project. But even with a signed contract, he would have to guarantee the purchase of the first 1000 copies and incur much of the publishing costs. “Once I submitted the final design, I was told I would have to pay 40,000 Euros to have the book printed,” recounts Sternthal. Even more troubling, “they refused to provide a breakdown of the costs,” he recalls. Disheartened by the lack of transparency in the traditional publishing model, Sternthal opened shop. “I am determined to create a business model that will allow artists from Quebec and around the world to publish their work without the exploitation of the publishing industry,” explains Sternthal.
What happens when vanilla is ousted? Think collages, sculptures, pin-hole cameras, light boxes, psychedelic imagery, visual allegories and, of course, nudity. Not Taschen penises and pop-nudity. It’s vitality, intimacy, eroticism, and anxiety. Aside from publishing books, Sternthal Books has hosted film screenings, artist talks, and created a series of unique pop-up shops in Tel-Aviv, Berlin, and Montreal. Let’s be clear: Sternthal Books isn’t a publishing charity. Rather, Sternthal has revived the art of book-making and created a stage to showcase niche authors like himself. “At the end of the day, I want to make a profit,” maintains Sternthal, “but the overall goal is to use visual arts to educate people and spread ideas about different cultures and political issues.”
Sternthal’s current initiative is a true project of passion. Zalmania, a digital book of portraits, includes over 3,000 Tel-Avivian faces, photographed over seven decades at the Pri-Or PhotoHouse, a studio founded by Israel’s most prolific documentary and portrait photographers, Miriam and Rudi Weissenstein. “I walked into the PhotoHouse out of curiosity, attracted by the amazing black and white images in the window display,” recounts Sternthal. “But upon talking with Miriam, I started coming back.” Realizing Zalmania will mean fulfilling Miriam’s dream – creating a book of all the faces photographed in her studio. “These photos are a living archive,” explains Sternthal. Along with the portraits, Zalmania will include a series of videos taken at the studio, including the moving and comedic encounters between Miriam and clients searching for photos from their past.
In order to complete the project, Sternthal Books has created a fundraising initiative through Kickstarter. With over $30,000 raised to date, Sternthal is counting on the success of this final week of fundraising. “The scale and impact of the project depends on the donations we receive,” says Sternthal. “The more funds we have to work with, the further we can preserve, celebrate, and learn from this important historical collection.” Donation rewards include a printed edition of the book, black and white prints, a limited edition box set from Sternthal Books, personal credit at the opening of the book, and invitations to the book launches in New York, Tel-Aviv and Montreal.
To make a donation to Zalmania, click here.
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