details

2023
A4 portrait, 32 pages
Self-designed and published
£20
@ashhardman1

artist

Preston-based Ash Hardman is a visual artist whose work explores the intersection of architecture, people and the spaces they inhabit. To date he has self-published 15 zines.

publication

Benidorm is an exploration of the architecture of the Spanish holiday resort, intersected by a stag party. ‘To be honest the zine wasn’t work I had planned at all, I reluctantly travelled to Benidorm as part of a stag party,’ recalls Ash. He ended up enjoying the festivities more than anticipated, as recounted in the middle section of the zine.

Publishing a zine of the trip ‘was a decision I made when in the taxi from the airport to our hotel,’ he explains. ‘I always take my camera with me, so I decided I would make time while on a stag party to make the work.’

Ash was particularly inspired by the city’s playful architecture, reflective of Benidorm’s reputation. ‘Most of the work I shot for the zine was made in the morning, while Benidorm was still sleeping.’

The images were shot digitally and the zine was laid out over many iterations using Adobe InDesign.

The publication was printed by Ash’s go-to online printing platform Mixam. ‘I now know most of their paper stock and colours, which always match, so once I’m happy with it at my end I send the publication for print,’ says Ash.