018 – Joshua Amirthasingh is the eighteenth entry in Setanta Books’ ongoing bimonthly series dedicated to publishing the work of emerging photographers. Released in 2024, this softcover volume runs 48 pages and measures 21 by 16 centimeters, with a card wraparound cover. The edition consists of 350 copies. A special edition is also available, which includes a numbered Giclée print—one of an edition of twenty-five—accompanied by a signed artist label. The available prints are titled “A Walk to Remember,” “Endless Summer,” and “Not In Service,” each measuring 19 by 15.5 centimeters.
In his artist statement, Amirthasingh describes nostalgia as the driving force behind his work. His influences are varied: the structured compositions of Edward Hopper, the vibrant energy of his childhood in India, and the storytelling language of cinema. These sources, he notes, infuse his images with a longing for the past. This feeling is further accentuated by his choice of analog film, a medium whose deliberate process he connects to the introspective nature of reminiscing.
Working amid the everyday bustle of San Francisco, Amirthasingh seeks out quiet moments. He draws on the city’s interplay of golden-hour light, which casts a warm, nostalgic glow, and its ethereal fog, which creates a dreamy, evocative atmosphere. He describes this interplay as a character in itself, adding another layer to the stories he tells with his camera. Ultimately, his photographs aim to become a conversation between the familiar and the unexpected, inviting viewers to engage with the stories embedded within and to embark on their own journeys down memory lane.
For readers following this series, the book occupies a specific place in a numbered run. The regular softcover edition is issued in 350 copies, while the special edition adds the print and signed label described above. The title is the eighteenth in a sequence that includes earlier volumes by photographers such as Luka Khabelashvili, Margaret Durow, and Michael McCluskey.
