It's definitely crunch time for the first show, and I am really feeling just how close it is. On Friday I showed some possible iterations of one of the coffee table books for my installation. The content of my book is letters and notes that my grandparents wrote to eat other in the 40's. I have scanned the photos but will continue to use the actual photographs - placed into the book using photo corners.
The overall reception fit well with the conversation I had been having about the book in Design class. While at first I think I was attached to creating these layouts with pattern and leading the book in a scrapbook direction I have come to agree with the fact that perhaps the first version is too "designed". With the scanned in patterns and business, the content, these "artifacts" of another time do not shine through, nor does it fit with the rest of the content in my installation which is all very authentic and non-designed in the sense that I am using actual objects.
Beyond that the all aspects of my content seem to be captivating the audiences I have been showing them too, however my challenge continues to be how to make my own photos and the found photos co-exist in a logical way and allow each to shine.
I've continued to divide the found photographs into sets based upon where they are in the house, showing the passage of time and the growth of the family, in the same comforting setting.
I've experimenting with lots of ways to hang everything. Here's a most recent look at that:
I think after this latest hanging I am leaning towards: more space between sets of photos and thinking that I want the larger photos (my originals) to perhaps be even a little more separated in the space. Perhaps on the right wall of my installation space:
The challenge would be to make it feel cohesive, but I think if done right it could serve as a nice bookend to the installation.
