The shortlist has been chosen by an international jury of photography experts. The nominations are:
Pieter Hugo (South Africa) for publication Permanent Error, published by Prestel, Germany, 2011.
Rinko Kawauchi (Japan) for publication Illuminance, published by Editions Xavier Barral, France, 2011.
John Stezaker (UK) for his exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK, Jan-March 2011.
And Christopher Williams (USA) for his exhibition, Kapitalistischer Realismus at Dum umen Cesk Budejovice, Budweis, Czech Republic, May-June 2011.
Commenting on the shortlist Brett Rogers, director of The Photographer's Gallery and chair of the Deutsche Brse Photography 2012 judging panel said:
"Each finalist addresses in a timely way issues of critical importance within contemporary photography. Operating between portraiture and social documentary, Pieter Hugo confronts us with the unsettling reality of the impact of e-waste in Ghana; Rinko Kawauchi brings her highly personal sensibility to bear on fragments of everyday life; John Stezaker demonstrates a rigorous exploration of the subversive force of the found image; and finally, alluding to the language of commercial photography, Christopher Williams continuously questions the aesthetic conventions and communication tools that influence our perception of reality.”
The shortlist will be the focus of a Summer 2012 exbition at The Photographer's Gallery in central London. The eventual winner will scoop a £30,000 prize pot.
