I'm a little surprised, given my normal trepidation for all things modern and technological, but I'm sort of interested in this whole book thing. Lately I've been making tons of handmade paper and I've learned to bind my own books, so I'm a bit intrigued by
this commercially printed book that I've made on the internet through MagCloud. The idea that I can take some photos, put them on Flickr, and have a book in a few weeks (or sooner if I'm willing to pay for shipping) is the complete opposite of slowly grinding fibers to make pulp, pulling sheets of paper, and sewing them into a hand-crafted, somewhat fragile, unique book.
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| Previewing a book in MagCloud |
I'm also a very tactile person, so I'm definitely excited to feel the stiffness of the pages and the gloss of the paper, and to get to touch the photos. Staring at a computer screen just doesn't allow for that physical connection with an item. But the book form really does encourage the involvement of the viewer. Whether they're commercially printed or handmade, books can be picked up, turned over, and flipped through.
Speaking of involvement, I certainly hope that my book holds the viewer's attention. In reading some of Sarah Greenough's writing on Robert Frank's
The Americans, I really noticed that he gave such thought and consideration to engaging his viewers and to giving purpose to the organization of his photographs. The book is split into sections by American flags, and each section contains both people looking and the subjects they were looking at. I tried to organize my book in a way that seemed visually appealing, but to be honest I really don't know if there's a better way. I reorganized it several times, in search of the perfect layout, but eventually concluded that what I think is best or logical may not make any sense to anyone else. But it's my book. So, for the time being at least, I get to be right.
I think that that working at something that you feel more familiar with will definitely put your work in another dimension. Already you have clearly expressed a vision in you series and now it's time to put that in the realm of reality not in the hyperreality that is the net. Your eye as an artist is impeccable and I only regret that you wont be actually papering(?)/binding the book yourself. Way to go, Robert Frank would be proud of your social commentary.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you about wanting to have something tactile... making this book on MagCloud was an easy way to achieve it, even if you feel like you were less involved with it than one where you get to make the pages. I think that your sequencing really works as it is. Maybe its because I spend a lot of time at the cafe, but I feel like the pictures demonstrate the randomness that you would see if you were there, wandering around. It also gives us a look at the uniqueness of our school!
ReplyDeleteThe cinematic quality of the pictures makes them work. They unfold, like a film, and the magazine format underscores the cinematic sequencing and flow.
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