Hand-bound books, honest stories and photography as evidence: Meet publishing house, Zone6

As a bookbinder, Johnny McMullan (founder of Zone6) is typically producing publications entirely by hand. At his independent press in London, he finds that this always allows for “freedom both in terms of materials, costs, and importantly, adding the extra flourishes”, those that might not be possible when working en masse. Crafting small runs of artist books, Zone6 focuses its production on projects concerned with “memory – how images have become intertwined in our concept of both past and present”, Johnny says.

Through his background in archivist work and with galleries and private collections, the designer has curated the Incite Project: a collection of documentary and conflict-based photography. Through this, Johnny has become “increasingly interested in photography’s role as evidence”, he says, “and I mean this in its broadest sense: evidence of conflict or evidence of a love affair”. Across all of his work in publishing, curation and design, he hopes to be a facilitator for the sharing of honest stories. Via close collaborations with artists and photographers at Zone6, he simply wants into print what he loves most about photography: “its wonderful ability to represent the entire human experience and emotional nuance”.