Hugo Scott's first monograph features 20 photographs in a handmade photo box

Date
26 February 2019

Paris-based, Scottish photographer Hugo Scott has made a name for himself through a cinematic approach to street photography. In his first monograph, 20 photographs taken over the past eight years are carefully curated into a photo box publication. Published by DoBeDo and designed by Loose Joints, 20 Photographs documents Hugo’s way of interacting with new experiences and unfamiliar situations.

Hugo and DoBeDo founder Tyrone Lebon have known each other for a long time, and all the while Hugo’s growing archive of photography has amassed into an “extraordinary collection of street and observational photographs from all over the world”, explains Lewis and Sarah, the founding designers of Loose Joints. From thousands of photos, Tyrone selected 20 images as a “little teaser as to what’s to come from Hugo.” And for Lewis and Sarah who are editors, publishers, graphic designers and art directors, this project is currently one of many ongoing collaborations with DoBeDo publishers.

The edition of 150 presents itself in a hand-finished box and includes 20 card-mounted photographic prints with a signed and hand numbered index page. This alternative publication gives each photograph the space it deserves as an individual artwork, with room for the viewer to pick out and frame their favourite pieces if they choose. The designers add: “The looseness of the cards is nice as it reflects how open Hugo’s subjects can be. Tyrone originally raised this idea and we loved it, extending it through to the design.”

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Hugo Scott: 20 Photographs

With this format, “you end up with these thick mounted cards that can be stood up or leant here and there and the sequence can be reshuffled to.” It gives the publication a more personal feel as the viewer is encouraged to move within a wider remit to view each and every image. On the front cover, however, Lewis and Sarah decided not to choose a cover image from the diverse array of 20 Photographs as “it felt strange for the cover to have one single image defining the rest.”

Instead, they opted for a wonderfully typeset and understated typographic cover. Using the typeface Nara, based on hand-drawn calligraphy, the designers have drawn out the quirks of the letterforms through the type-centric cover. “It has a tendency to look italicised when it’s not, and feels a bit off-kilter which is exactly what Hugo is about.”

Amidst all this, Lewis and Sarah emphasise that a “huge amount of careful manual work” also went into the making process. Each card is blind debossed with an original C-type print tipped into it, and the boxes are handmade too. Adding a touch of the personal while simultaneously referencing the traditional print folio, the collaborators have produced something “that’s got its feet in two camps” as “on one hand it’s a nice collector’s item but then it’s also something charming and lo-fi” which suitably encompasses each creative’s approach.

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Hugo Scott: 20 Photographs

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Hugo Scott: 20 Photographs

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Hugo Scott: 20 Photographs

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Hugo Scott: 20 Photographs

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Hugo Scott: 20 Photographs

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Hugo Scott: 20 Photographs

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Hugo Scott: 20 Photographs

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Hugo Scott: 20 Photographs

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About the Author

Jyni Ong

Jyni joined It’s Nice That as an editorial assistant in August 2018 after graduating from The Glasgow School of Art’s Communication Design degree. In March 2019 she became a staff writer and in June 2021, she was made associate editor.

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