This is the first major monograph for photographer Sarah Jones, published by perhaps the leading independent cultural publisher, Violette Editions, and in collaboration with Jones’ gallery, Maureen Paley.

Initial ambitions from the artist included a very complex collection of groupings which we sought to simplify. The works are subtle, introspective, contemplative, and nuanced, and we were concerned that too many different systems and too much complexity would compromise the readers direct experience of the images. Working with Jones, and with publisher Robert Violette, we developed a simplified curation that gave more prominence to the works.

Image captions are placed at 90 degrees to the page, to give the artworks freedom to be viewed without visual interference. Page numbers are also placed sideways and, unusually, inside the captions – towards the spine. This is unconventional but does not compromise use and makes for a better visual arrangement.

A series of essays required illustrations. These are exclusively centred on the page, both vertically and horizontally, and again captions are sidelined. The result is a spare page and the opportunity to dwell on images without the immediate visual distraction of their associated text.

At the end of the book all works are shown at the same scale in relation to one another in a catalogue section. Here all text and images are at 90 degrees to allow increased space for collections to be shown together. This also retrospectively endorses the perpendicularly positioned captions.

Shortlisted in the Cultural Books category of the British Book Design & Production Awards