Non-Routine Aesthetics: A Phenomenological Reading of NoRoutine Books

Abstract

The independent Lithuanian publisher NoRoutine Books, founded by Vilma Samulionytė and Gytis Skudžinskas in 2014, has produced 15 photobooks. They treat the photobook as a medium which has its own material qualities, its own language and ways of producing meaning. The strictly kept print run of 99 copies not only turns the books into rare collectible items, but also functions as a statement about the books as objects to be appreciated and read slowly, with pleasure, while taking time to decipher the message conveyed by the structure of the book. In order to demonstrate how such a reading works, the article discusses five books.