Loose Joints proudly presents 'Slip Me the Master Key', a monograph by Thomas Prior compiling two decades of his precise and unflinching photographic work.

Prior’s images carry a distinct thread of the American uncanny, exploring the edges of technology, environment, capitalism, and culture to create an anthropocentric vision that is both consistent and sublime in composition. Moving seamlessly between commissioned and personal projects, Prior finds subtle dissonances that capture the tremors of contemporary Western life, revealing hidden dynamics of power, change, and control.

In 'Slip Me the Master Key', Prior’s photographs act as quiet alarms, with meaning lurking just beneath the surface. His subjects range from the National Pyrotechnic Festival in Mexico and a quantum supercomputer, to a COVID-era morgue truck in Manhattan, empty vats of Adderall, the deepest snow on Earth, microplastics, a boxer mid-punch, a cloned dog, and a strip of Maldivian land threatened by rising seas. Arranged in careful sequence, the images reveal the strange beauty and charged stillness of a world tipping sideways.

The collection reflects gradual but irreversible shifts shaping our world, pointing toward a precarious future already in motion. With cool restraint and oblique curiosity, Prior bridges the macro forces shaping society and the minute moments that carry emotional weight, offering a chilling yet sublime vision of the Anthropocene and the unspeakable tensions of our time.

Thomas Prior (b. 1979, USA) is a photographer whose work blends documentary sensibility with a narrative depth that transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. Prior is based in New York and works for clients including NASA, The New Yorker, TIME Magazine, and The New York Times, among many others. His previous book with Loose Joints, Amen Break, was published in 2020, and in 2016 he released the book Bomba.

Thomas Prior 'Slip Me the Master Key' (Loose Joints)
245 × 302 mm, 168 pages, 86 colour plates
Exposed spine softcover with raw debossed cloth jacket
Text by Tobias Wolf
Edited by Sarah Chaplin Espenon
Design: Loose Joints Studio 
ISBN 978-1-912719-68

Loose Joints is an award-winning independent publishing house based between Marseille and London, founded by Sarah Chaplin Espenon and Lewis Chaplin in 2014. Loose Joints collaborates with leading and emerging artists on contemporary approaches to photography in book form : "We circulate new visual perspectives through a dedicated list seeking to elevate underrepresented voices in photographic discourse. Our holistic approach to publishing allows us to work in close collaboration with artists from start to finish, with all design, editing and production done in-house. Loose Joints also operates independently as a design studio, working across publishing and the arts. Loose Joints is currently based in Marseille, where it also runs Ensemble, a bookshop and gallery dedicated to contemporary photography"

 
08.10.2025 show complete article

Soothing Shade is a Berlin-based agency for photography and illustration, founded by Tatjana Bilger, who brings over 20 years of experience in all aspects of image production — including roles as an art buyer and in production across London, Amsterdam, and Berlin. The agency combines a refined aesthetic with a sharp instinct for authenticity. Whether it’s portraiture, reportage, or still life, Soothing Shade works closely with each artist to shape individual paths and supports both artistic and commercial projects with a highly personal approach. Their artists will be presented on May 16 at UPDATE BERLIN.

Thomas PRIOR c/o Soothing Shade photographed the SKY BET campaign “The G.O.A.T. is a Horse” for Anomaly London. Launched to coincide with the Cheltenham Festival, the new campaign introduces a continuous racing platform that redefines the debate around the “Greatest of All Time” (G.O.A.T.) — with a bold new perspective: “The G.O.A.T. is a Horse.”
In a sport defined by speed, strength, and elegance, the campaign delivers a clear message: the true elite athlete isn’t human — it’s the racehorse. For decades, athletes like Serena Williams, Cristiano Ronaldo, or Lewis Hamilton have been contenders for the title. But with wit and a fresh perspective, Sky Bet challenges the assumption, proposing a new name for the title — or rather, a new species. A horse that can run 45 mph, jump over 8 feet, and carry a human while doing it — is there really any competition?

To bring this vision to life, Anomaly teamed up with creatives known for their work with major sports brands and top athletes. Cheltenham-born director Leigh Powis brought a cinematic vision to the campaign, while photographer Thomas Prior captured the racehorse as an icon of athleticism. With its high-end visual style and tongue-in-cheek take on the G.O.A.T. debate, the campaign brings new energy to the racing world — and makes the Cheltenham Festival a true cultural highlight.

American photographer Thomas Prior’s powers of observation give each of his images a cinematic presence. With impeccable timing and sensitivity, he captures crucial moments by stepping back and capturing his subjects as they lead their lives. Prior’s portraiture is marked by contemplative, narrative-filled faces. Whether in Rwanda, Antarctica or his native America, Prior finds poetry and resonance in the landscape, people and lives that he encounters. Born in 1979 in Los Angeles, today Prior is based in New York and works for clients including NASA, The New Yorker, TIME Magazine, and The New York Times, among many others.

soothingshade.com
update.salon

 
05.05.2025 show complete article

Today we're sending you a newsletter preview of the upcoming UPDATE 25. For many of you, the UPDATE SALON is a day packed with conversations, impressions, inspiration,... accompanied by goodies, giveaways, postcards, snacks, and the occasional glass of champagne or coffee.

What seems so easy requires a lot of organization in advance. You have to find a date, secure exhibitors, inspire creatives, and continuously coordinate with the venue. Interviews are conducted, visitors are accredited, exhibitor requests are recorded, and so on... anyone who has ever organized an event knows what we're talking about.

We're all the more pleased by the overwhelming positive feedback, especially in these turbulent and challenging times. Listing all the people and agencies we're looking forward to seeing would be beyond the scope here. That's why we're featuring some examples of visitors and exhibitors in our UPDATE SPECIAL to give you a feel for our favorite event.

We'll see you on May 16th in Berlin! If you'd like to get accredited spontaneously, click on the link.

GoSee : gosee.news/register/update + UPDATE.Salon

 
24.04.2025 show complete article