The Art of the Personal Project: Ian Spanier


The Art of the Personal Project is a crucial element to let potential buyers see how you think creatively on your own. I am drawn to personal projects that have an interesting vision or that show something I have never seen before. In this thread, I’ll include a link to each personal project with the artist statement so you can see more of the project. Please note: This thread is not affiliated with any company; I’m just featuring projects that I find. Please DO NOT send me your work. I do not take submissions.

Today’s featured artist: Ian Spanier

FOREWORD TOM CHAMBERLIN // WRITTEN AARON SIGMOND // PHOTOGRAPHY IAN SPANIER From AARON SIGMOND (author of The Impossible Collection of Cigars) and photographer IAN SPANIER, the team that brought you PLAYBOY: The Book of Cigars & ARTURO FUENTE: Since 1912, comes a work of literary nonfiction artfully lavished with award-winning documentary photography.

CIGARS: A Biography.

February 2025 will mark the arrival of CIGARS: A Biography, an extraordinary undertaking more than 15 years in the making that deftly combines the remarkable talents of author Aaron Sigmond and photographer Ian Spanier in their fourth collaboration.

Richly illustrated with exclusive photography by Spanier—shot on location in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras and Mexico, as well as across the United States and throughout Europe—and penned by Sigmond, CIGARS: A Biography is part history book, part travelogue, part photographic monograph and part luxury reference book. It all adds up to a comprehensive survey of cigars that weaves into the narrative tapestry of Sigmond’s more than 35 years as a renowned cigar connoisseur. Over the decades his travels have taken him (often accompanied by Spanier) to cigar factories and tobacco farms throughout the Caribbean Basin, Europe and the United States, as well as cigar merchants and lounges around the world.

This hand-bound illustrated volume is presented in a handcrafted cigar case–inspired slipcase, a must-have for any cigar aficionado. Included as well is past work from Spanier, blended seamlessly with unpublished photographs taken in the last decade and a half, and all-new images shot specifically for CIGARS: A Biography over the last two years. The result is the book Sigmond and Spanier have long envisioned. It was designed by award-winning creative director Liliana Guia. “From a photographer’s standpoint, a comprehensive body of work like this signifies a deep exploration of the subject, capturing nuances and intricacies over time,” Spanier says. “The evolution in my approach reflects not only a dynamic journey but shifts in composition, lighting and perspective, showcasing my growth as a photographer and, equally, my growing desire to visually interpret the complexities of this distinctive subject.”

PREORDERS OF CIGARS: A BIOGRAPHY ARE NOW BEING TAKEN EXCLUSIVELY AT SigCulture.com & AT SELECT CIGAR MERCHANTS WORLDWIDE.

To see more of this project, click here

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APE contributor Suzanne Sease Currently works as a consultant for photographers and illustrators around the world. She has been involved in the photography and illustration advertising and in-house corporate industry for decades. After establishing the art-buying department at The Martin Agency, then working for Kaplan-Thaler, Capital One, Best Buy and numerous smaller agencies and companies, she decided to be a consultant in 1999. Follow her on Instagram

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