Independent Publishing Series

Over the last two years, Aron M"orel has established himself as a major influence in independent publishing. Operating from his flat in Central London, Aron's publishing house M"orel Books is a very small company who have been lucky enough to work with some of the most interesting emerging talents as well as more established artists.

During summer Aron opened a temporary space on Kingly Street to showcase both his personal work and the printed matter of colleagues. We paid Aron a visit to find out more about his ever-growing operation and future projects.

The reason for Aron to open up a temporary space as a showroom for all sorts of printed matter is, as he explains, "because of my admiration for a lot of the independent publishers out there". For him it all started with a booklet he made from found photographs, which went on to reach Larry Clark and Richard Billingham. Whilst in New York he gave photographer Gerard Malanga a copy from which a new project was born, taking shape to what M"orel Books is now.

Aron had no previous experience in printing or book making before starting M"orel Books, his passion for books grew from an interest in photography and poetry. Working from home as a one-man business, his philosophy has always been to keep things simple and basic, as well as trying hard to keep the books modestly priced; "When I started one of the ideas was to make limited edition books that are modestly priced. That has been an idealism that I have tried to retain throughout the whole process no matter if I'm working with an established or emerging artist."

Having already collaborated on publications with influential figures such as Alexander Binder, Jonnie Craig, Gerard Malanga, Ed Templeton, Asger Carlsen, Ryan McGinley, Boris Mikhailov and recently Terry Richardson, Aron also appreciates opportunities to work with lesser known talents. "People often approach me with these beautiful proposals; I approach people that I'd really like to work with; or things get recommended by other people which I think is always interesting."

Once an artist is selected, the book is either designed in-house or the artist works with his chosen designer, or in some cases even designs the book himself. "It's an artists book and I'm just facilitating a process of putting it into a bookshop and into people's hands." Instead of having a specific sense of branding on each book, Aron prefers the artist to have a lot of influence. He sees the book as the final step in the artists work and feels that it is beneficial if the artist oversees the creative direction, "I'd be quite involved in it but at the same time as flexible as I can."

"Paper, the printing technique and content have to interplay. There is a symbiotic relationship between them and I don't think trying to print super quality is always necessary. If you print less and keep things really simple they will prevail themselves sometimes a little bit more." A decision on how many copies are going to be printed is made together with the featured artist, it can be anything from 50 to 1000.

It goes without saying that he loves all the books and collaborations he has worked on so far but admits that A Season in Hell was very special to him. He describes the opportunity to publish it with Patti Smith and Mapplethorpe images as a 'divine moment'.

As for new releases, M"orel Books have just published Terry Richardson's Mom & Dad, a series of images by Terry Richardson, which explores and reveals the photographers own family life. Other new releases include Reveries of a Lost Life Mask by Aurel Schmidt and Franz Wright, and Heaven is Real which is comprised of work by the late Corinne Day.

Feature by Lilli Heinemann
Photography by Ben Benoliel

MOM & DAD by Terry Richardson

M"orel Books, 2011, Softcover with sleeve, 64 & 76 Pages, 22 X 26 cm, limited edition of 1000

Mom & Dad is a stunning series of images by Terry Richardson, who is delving deeply and indiscriminately into the world with his camera revealing the all too personal nature of his life - his family life.

Terry's images don't desist to shock, be it following his colourful yet frail mother or tracking his father's life and the decline of his mental health through his last days. Terry's camera has no boundaries, no judgement, just the simple truth of the snapshot; an intimate portrait of his family and in turn more or less a self-portrait of Terry Richardson the son.

The double book in a sleeve is immaculately art directed by Suburbia Media and comes in a limited edition of 1000.

Buy the book here.

ALLERSEELEN by Alexander Binder

M"orel Books, 2011, Softcover, 44 pages, 22cm x 31cm, limited edition of 500

This is M"orel Books second book from Alexander Binder. Alexander Binder has seamlessly managed to blend crystal rainbows with even the most arcane and dark twilights and thus once again constructing a world of haunting beauty and mysticism.

Buy the book here.

SUMO by Craig McDean

M"orel Books, 2011, Softcover, 54 pages, 23cm x 16cm, limited edition of 250, out-of-print, French folded and Japanese hand bound

"In 1993 I lived in Japan for a year.

Through a friend I had the uncommon access to the world of the Sumo wrestler. I began to visit the Dohyo every morning around five, the start of the Sumo practice. I entered their world and eventually befriended many of the wrestlers.

In the beginning, I was just visiting and taking photographs from a distance.

Now, almost twenty years later, I began looking at the photographs again and seeing this body of work in a completely different way. The fluidity and abstraction of these enormous and graceful bodies in motion has inspired me all over again. They remind me of the near religious experience of being in the presence of the graceful Sumo."

Craig Thomas McDean

Foreword Gene Krell, edited by Emma Reeves

Buy the book here.

MOONMILK by Ryan McGinley

M"orel Books, 2009, Softcover, 96 pages, 23cm x 16cm, 1st edition, out-of-print, signed

Over the past year, Ryan McGinley and his crew explored huge underground caves, venturing into unknown territory and seeking out spectacular natural spaces, - some previously undocumented.

The title, "Moonmilk", alludes to the crystalline deposits found on the walls of many caves; it was once believed that this substance was formed by light from celestial bodies passing through rock into darkened worlds below.

The series, a departure from Ryan's iconic images of the past, firmly places Ryan as one of the most innovative and influential artists of a generation.

Foreword Raphael Gygax and Brian Dillon.

Buy the book here.

A SEASON IN HELL by Arthur Rimbaud, Patti Smith, Robert Mapplethorpe

M"orel Books, 2009, Softcover, 92 pages, 18cm x 12cm, limited edition of 500, out-of-print

"Once, if I remember correctly, my life was a feast at which all hearts opened and all wines flowed.

One day I sat beauty on my knees - And I found her bitter, -And I reviled her!"

Thus, 20 year old Arthur Rimbaud starts his revolutionary prose poem "A Season in Hell" shaking and leveling poetic foundations, -his words remaining as shocking today as they were in the late 19th century.

Rimbaud's status has remained legendary and his influence runs through literature into the heart of the arts and out the mouth of Rock and Roll.

In this booklet, designed in the same style as Rimbaud's 1873 self published edition, Patti Smith lends us her illustrations of Rimbaud, as well as a selection of photographs from the illustrious late Robert Mapplethorpe.

Buy the book here.