Photo zines get weird

“We love pregnant men!” The first Temple Arles book fair was held in the South of France last week, and we were there selling some of our favourite independent magazines. Organised as part of the photography festival that has been held in the town for the last 50 years, the fair included some extraordinary photo books and zines, so we took the opportunity to speak to the people behind some of the most striking titles. Brilliantly bizarre, the three zines we picked out embrace the ease, accessibility and unpretentiousness typical of the format, using their unassuming pages to explore unique obsessions: Album by Eline Mugaas and Elise Storsveen uses a vast archive of found photography to create unexpected associations between images, challenging conventional ideas on subjects like gender roles and encouraging the viewer to question what they see. Boyz II Men is a collection of photography shot by the artist Thick Nina, exploring the formation of masculinity and considering the role of men, often in relationship with women. Narco by Lina Ibáñez presents images of the various actors who have played Pablo Escobar in film and on TV, and comes complete with a plastic baggy of white powder (Colombian corn flour, not cocaine).