Q+A with David Schoerner of Hassla Books
I have the great pleasure of working mere feet from David Schoerner of Hassla Books every day. Having just purchased the stunning Taciturn Heart by Marcelo Gomes, I thought it was high time we had a chat about the wonderful things David has been doing.
Spread from Taciturn Heart by Marcelo Gomes
KS: How did you get into small run book publishing?
DS: I had been working at a magazine for a couple years when I decided to start Hassla. I mainly just wanted to be able to work with artists that I liked and whose work I respected. I was very inspired by what Nieves was doing, though I knew I didn’t want to do the same thing and also the book The Master by Juergen Teller. I wanted to do limited editions that were affordable. Hassla doesn’t do second editions. I started with a small book of my photographs and just continued with it from there.
KS: Where did you get such spectacular taste?
DS: Thanks Kate… I’m not sure, I guess I just try not to pay attention to what is “hot” at the moment and go with what I like.
KS: You mention the collaborative effort in each artist’s book, what was one of your favorite collaborations and why?
DS: Probably Bernhard Fuchs and Sam Falls. Both were very much a back and forth between myself and the artist which I think tends to work really well. I think its important to have that outside opinion. But First, Jay Comes by Takashi Homma and Tree Zone by Nicolai Howalt and Trine Sondergaard are two books I didn’t have a say in at all and I think they both came out amazing.
KS: Agreed. Tree Zone is a personal favorite after Color Dying Light.
Spread from First, Jay Comes by Takashi Homma
Spread from Color Dying Light by Sam Falls
KS: What is “Hassla” and why did you choose the name for your publishing company?
DS: Hassla is the name of the farm my family in Sweden lives on. I thought it sounded like a good name and its a beautiful place, I love it there.
KS: Everyone is doing top ten lists. What are your top artist books of the last year?
DS: Farewell Horse by Roe Ethridge, Teignmouth Electron by Tacita Dean – I think it originally came out in 1999, Roads and Paths by Bernhard Fuchs, Svart Mettal by Grant Willing. Sam Falls’ self-published artist books and Bettie Kline by Richard Prince.
KS: You also run The Artist Book Database. When do you sleep?
DS: Yeah, I’m not too sure… I buy a 6 pack or bottle of wine and sit in front of my laptop instead of going out to bars.
KS: Your work was featured on the site www.booksonline.fr. Do you see Hassla venturing into online publishing? If so, how?
DS: I don’t think so. I’m more interested in the book as an object. Online publishing lacks that new book smell.
KS: I noticed that you are putting out a book of your own work this Spring. Is it easier or harder than working with another artist?
DS: I find it much harder and its a much longer process from the time I start working on the edit to the time its complete. I think I tend to be much harder and less sure of my own work then when working with other artists. However, I’m very excited about it because it will also be Hassla’s first hardcover release.
Thanks David, for preserving that new book smell and making our world more beautiful with every project.
