Jon Levy (photographer)

Jon Levy is the founder and director of Foto8, a British-based photography company responsible for the publication of 8 Magazine, the Biannual of Photography, as well as its sister website Foto8.com and the HOST gallery in London.[1]

Biography

Levy was born in London in 1967.

Levy studied Economics at Manchester University 1985-1988 and went on to develop his interest in photojournalism at the International Center of Photography in New York where he took the one year certificate program in Documentary Photography and Photojournalism. He remained in New York following graduation and freelanced as a news photographer most notably for the Independent Newspaper in London working with their US correspondent Daniel Jeffreys (who incidentally had been his economics teacher at Westminster school in London). In addition Levy worked on a freelance basis with the photo agency Gamma Liaison under the stewardship of editor Marion Mertens. Later Levy joined the French wire service Agence France Presse (AFP) in the New York Bureau working with photographers Don Emmert and Timothy Clary.

In 1998 Levy moved back to London and whilst photographing there began his internet venture on the website he founded, Foto8.com. With colleague Gordon Miller he launched 8 magazine (known previously as ei8ht) as a quarterly publication of photojournalism.[2] The issues of the magazine, very much like the website on which it was based, publishes new works by independent photographers covering current affairs and personal photo stories. With photo editor Lauren Heinz and text editor Max Houghton in charge of the editorial content of the magazine, 8 magazine has won numerous awards for its design, layout and treatment of photography. It is commonly regarded as one of the leading lights in independent photography publishing and most recently in 2009 Foto8 released their first book: Maurice Broomfield, Photographs, looking at the archive of industrial photography from the 1950s by this British photographer.

In 2006 Levy moved Foto8 to new premises in Honduras Street, in East London, where he founded HOST Gallery to further explore the publishing, exhibition and presentation of photographic projects. HOST has a program of shows, talks, screenings and other events the largest and best known of which is the annual street party launch of the Foto8 Summer Show at HOST.

In 2009 Levy was one of four invited guest curators at the annual New York Photo Festival with the “Home for Good” exhibition.[3] In 2010, Levy completed Rise, a six-month, eight-photographer commission and book for the Legatum Foundation, and Taking Land, a book with Alban Kakulya for the Zoi Environment Network.

Levy speaks at events about the role of photojournalism in society and the future of it as a tool of social communication.

Publications edited by Levy

References


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