James Tunks’s ZONE is the third book in his ongoing collaboration with Perimeter Editions, and perhaps his most ambitious to date. This special edition of 25 copies comes with a signed and editioned black and white pigment print, Feathers (II), 2024. The print is a fitting extension of the themes found in the book—quiet, focused, and open to interpretation.
Melbourne’s Perimeter Books will host the launch of ZONE this Saturday 12 April 2025. Running from 4pm to 6pm, the event will include an artist talk, a book signing, and light celebratory refreshments.
At its core, ZONE is a study of photography’s shifting role in a time shaped by rapid technological change. Tunks brings together colour and black and white images to create a sequence that moves between clarity and disruption. There are images of birds of prey, space programme patches, sunbursts, lunar surfaces, and Icelandic landscapes once used for training astronauts. The photographs reference both the history of exploration and the tools now used to observe and record the world.
The book continues Tunks’s interest in the boundary between fact and fiction. As in his earlier works Into Dust and AI (Art Index), the images often feel staged or constructed, raising questions about how we see and what we trust. Some photographs echo or mirror others, hinting at the mechanics of the camera or the algorithms behind machine learning.
The final pages of the book include a short piece of anonymous text. It tells the story of a photographer abroad, carrying a prototype camera capable of seeing far beyond normal limits. The device, described as powerful and possibly dangerous, becomes a way to reflect on the future of vision and surveillance. The tone is quiet, thoughtful, and leaves space for the reader to consider what’s being said about photography’s role in this new landscape.
Perimeter Editions have once again shown a strong sense of editorial care. The production is modest but thoughtful, with a saddle-stitched softcover and a layout that gives the images room to breathe. Their support of artists working at the edge of photography’s possibilities is clear, and ZONE is a good example of that commitment.
This book isn’t about answers. It’s a space for questions—about technology, image-making, and the act of looking. It’s worth spending time with.
Details:
- ZONE is published by Perimeter Editions (Melbourne) in a special edition of 25 copies.
- Each copy includes a signed and numbered black and white pigment print titled Feathers (II), 2024 (approx. 26.5 x 16.5 cm).
- The book is 48 pages long and presented in a 21 x 27.5 cm saddle-stitched softcover format.
- Designed and printed with close attention to detail, it reflects the collaborative approach between the artist and publisher.
- The special edition is available directly through Perimeter Editions and selected stockists.
Book Launch
- At Perimeter Books
- 734 High Street, Thornbury, VIC
- Saturday 12 April 2025
- 4pm – 6pm
- Free entry – no reservations required
