I have three questions re: my book that I'd greatly appreciate feedback on.
1) Would coptic stitching with brown, davy-board-like covers be appropriate for this book? the rationale being that it is raw, simple, and personal. If not, please suggest what might be appropriate aesthetically.
2) I want to avoid categorizing the items because that's too cold & data-like for this kind of a personal project & content. Any suggestions as to what kind of story/narrative I should use to order the items?
3) Would it add to the book to have little takeaways like coasters or reproductions of some of the items?
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2) I agree, categorizing the items doesn't suit the fun, spontaneous content of the book. Perhaps you can consider varying the items in terms of their uniqueness/banality. I.e. You can place the necklace the girl was given by her boyfriend (which is very unique and personal, not something you'd find at a store) on the recto of a spread, and then the nailpolish (something massproduced and everyday) on the verso, just for contrast. However, maybe sometimes you might want to have two or more similar items on the same spread, it all depends on the final set of items you end up with and how you want them to be read.
ReplyDelete2) I think avoiding categorization is a good idea. Have you seen the Post Secret books? I love how there was no real order/categorization of the postcards sent in. It adds to spontaneity and really leads to the unexpected.
ReplyDelete3) I think that by have takeaways or reproductions of the items might actually take away from the personal meaning attached to the item. By reproducing each item it might make some items appear as not being taken seriously ( depending on the story behind it)
ReplyDeleteAs well the meaning of the take away may change because it is not the actual item and won't have that personal attachment to it.
1) I think coptic stitching would be perfect for your book! There is no spine so the pages are revealed. This would perhaps give the reader a clue as to the way the individual's reveal their stories and objects. I like the idea of using brown covers, maybe to give it a journal-like feeling.
ReplyDeleteOoh...good point :D Thanks Kari.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks everyone for responding. I'm at that point where any idea is popping out so thanks for bouncing them back!
1) I definitely love coptic for your book, and davy-like cover too. It's perfect for making your book feel like a scrapbook or memory book- basically a collection, and is also beautiful :)
ReplyDeleteWhat were you thinking for the thread? I like natural colors - what Reg was using in class would look nice, that off-white beige color.
2) true, you shouldn't categorize, it would take away from the nature and beauty of collection.
ReplyDeletemaybe you could order them chronologically? that wouldn't really take away anything or give anything away..
you should have all the stories laid out like a random collection. use type to your advantage, maybe you could have some of the stories written out by the actual person whose story it is, or have captions in their own handwriting? I like that idea of giving it a more personal touch. I feel like some hand rendered type would work really well with your spreads.
3) I agree with what Tara said about the takeaway objects. I think that part of what is so wonderful about the stories is that they are so subjective and personal and we are presented with these mundane objects like plastic sunglasses or nail polish that have been given so much meaning by the stories attached to them.
ReplyDeleteI also think the book has a lot of different imagery going on which is working because it is all brought together by memories and stories, but adding extra objects in might become too much.
2) I don't think this book needs much of a narrative or order. It works well how it is in your spreads now with the story of the item being all the info you need.
ReplyDeleteI particularly like how the necklace and snow globe layouts are looking. I guess because they are very minimal and the type you do have interacts well with the images.
thanks guys :) mucho helpful.
ReplyDeleteSamia, I'm thinking of the same threads Reg was using. nothing artificial with this book! :D
I think the idea of using the brown davy board as a cover is a good idea, because it makes the book itself to look like a found object. It's also raw as you said and very plain. Even though it plain, the book tells of wonderful stories. However, the objects inside are nice and colorful and the type treatment are also colorful and has a warm feeling both from the objects and the overall design, so using the davy board might not be appropriate. By the way, I like your concepts of the book a lot :D
ReplyDelete1. I see what you’re saying using the davy-board as way to convey the raw natural feel. What if you chose a recycled paper? There are some craft papers or recycled papers that are textured or have bits of other papers embedded in them that are really nice looking too. They might not look “ raw” enough, but it’s another option to using just the raw davy board. I understand that you want it to look simple and personal, but you don’t want it to look unfinished either, and it might look unfinished if the board is left untreated.
ReplyDelete