The EditBooks

Take a dip into POOLS, a seductive new book featuring iconic works by Martin Parr, Solve Sundsbo, and more

If you want to imagine life at the swimming pool right now, and boy we'd give anything to enjoy a refreshing dip, then this new photobook full of beautiful images might satisfy that urge.

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All images courtesy of B.A.M.

All images courtesy of B.A.M.

Designed by London studio B.A.M., published by Rizzoli and written by Lou Stoppard, POOLS is seductive, glamorous and fun, full of bold typography and wrapped up with a blue translucent jacket, as you'd expect. Featuring the work of Martin Parr, Solve Sundsbo, Alasdair McLellan and Romain Laprade, to name a few, it takes a closer look at everything swimming pools have come to represent: symbols of both sport and leisure, and conjuring images of beautiful bikinis, glimmering blue waters and hot summer days.

The book is divided into themed chapters, some are literal and some more evocative, for example, there's Escape, Glamour and Architecture – ok, we can picture what those will be about. But there's also Coming of Age, Movement and Sex. You've got our attention. And if that wasn't enough to evoke some serious FOMO, there's even a section at the back revealing a 'Pool Guide' of the best swimming pools in the world. You know, places we can visit when this lockdown is over and we've got money in the bank again.

There are various texts throughout including words by Solve Sundsbo, Susie Parr and Alice Hawkins. The foreword is written by Leanne Shapton and reads: "A pool. Look at it. It's a smooth, contained and containing body of water, a blank canvas, a fresh sheet of paper, a zero-gravity ride of a sort. Depending on your intent or desire (workout or dip), it can be a locus of pain or pleasure."

Light blue book cover for POOLS featuring a swimmer diving underwater against a deep blue background, with white typography on the spine
Open POOLS photobook showing a textured abstract image on the left page and a photograph of a woman in a yellow swimming costume at the edge of a bright blue pool on the right, with turquoise cover visible
Open spread of POOLS book showing black and white overhead photograph of a woman floating in clear water with rippling surface patterns
Open spread of POOLS photobook showing an underwater swimmer photograph on the left and two black-and-white detail images on the right, with turquoise binding visible
An open book with a turquoise spine showing an "Architecture" chapter page with a black and white geometric photograph of interior architectural elements, alongside a blue-edged page on the left
Open spread from POOLS book showing a turquoise poolside building with white loungers on left page and architectural photograph with text on right page
Open spread from POOLS book showing architectural pool photography with modernist curved structures, palm trees and blue water against white pages with turquoise-edged cover visible
Black and white photograph of a person diving into shallow water with rippling patterns, featured in the POOLS photobook with turquoise binding
Open spread from POOLS book showing vintage-style photographs of people in swimwear lounging by a pool, with bold red and blue colour blocking, displayed in a turquoise-edged book
Open pages of POOLS book showing underwater photograph by Solve Sundsbo on left with accompanying article text on right, with turquoise border frame
An open spread from POOLS photobook showing Polaroid-style images of swimmers and pool scenes, including a woman in water and figures in white clothing by a pool
Open turquoise-bound POOLS photobook displaying an underwater photograph of a woman floating face-down in blue water with ripples and light reflections above her
Open spread from POOLS photobook showing overhead view of people swimming and a purple inflatable in bright blue water
Stack of light blue POOLS books with white lettering on their spines, designed by B.A.M. studio
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