four books

I am always interested in publication especially those lo-fi things like zines. I learned some basic book-binding skills in the first year from the workshop that was held by illustration department. I love the idea that you actually can make a book by some papers, one needle and one thread. I made tons of notebooks and some zines by found materials to give my friend as presents. The procedure is like a ritual to me and always can comfort me. Also, i like thread more than staple because you can sense the warmness and patience by seeing and touching it.  It is a therapy to my undoubtedly!

For the reason above, i always want to combine my photographs with this format of publication with not that high quality. Therefore i made four books and put them into the final submission.

LAST CHRISTMAS

This is a practice for my Christmas tree project. As i mentioned in my previous post, i did a project about abandoned Christmas trees after the holiday. I printed all my images whose size is similar to 120 film just wanted to see them on paper and got a rough idea about all images. In this one, my hand-made book serveed as a vehicle and i just put my photos inside. Because i kept adding thickness into the books and the book started to expand and explode which was my initial intention. This was just like those countless Christmas tree i encountered on the street. I felt overloaded and overwhelmed by those discarded trees and the expanded book seems can't take them either.

In addition, the colours i chose was inspired by those dying trees covered in dust or dirt sometimes and sat besides the bins always.

THOSE PIECES

Those pieces are what i found on the road in my daily life. Some are normal and some are strange. I used to take tons of snapshots but i didn't know why i stopped after i came to Edinburgh. I didn't feel that comfortable to take out the camera in public anymore. WEIRD!

However, i decided to pick up my old habit since last September and then i tried to take pictures constantly. The aim is to find something interesting in my mundane life. It turned out like a journey or trip to me. I feel so close and so away from those images at the same time. When present becomes past and memory forms in its own way. It seems like that i lose control of my life and photographs are the only thing i can grab. Memory isn't reliable and photographs aren't trustworthy either. Anyway, this zine is about life, coming and going.

HOMESICK

The book i made by the materials i found in John Lewis. The theme is about old photographs i got in the flea markets. I love to collect old pictures because they provide a way to experience others' life in different time when it is impossible for me to live. I love the ambiguity dwelled in photographs just like what i mentioned. Photographs do leave the trace and track of something but they will make you question something inside/outside the frames as well. To me, those pictures always can inspire me and generate question and curiosity.

I always want to make something by those old photos but i don't have any idea how to edit them. I scanned them and tried to arrange them in the software but somehow i reckon that will decrease the charm of them. They should be old, yellow and sometimes ripped and wrinkled. It will only be a unnecessary process if i scan them and print them out afterward. Therefore i decided to use them directly. The idea came to me few days before the deadline when i discovered those demonstrating sheets of furnitures from John Lewis. I always go to John Lewis to use toilet after my trash/treasure hunting in car boot sale. That was when i got those sheets as well. Suddenly i linked those domestic surroundings to family albums and photos. The contrast between old and new, fake and real appears when i put these two elements together. Honestly, i will do more editing later on. I think it needs some texts or drawing within pages but unfortunately i couldn't figured out before the deadline. 

GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU

This is another creation about old pictures. I forget to mention about the major feature of old photographs, NOSTALGIA. In this book, i used envelops to be pages. Paper mail is another object that contains strong nostalgic feeling especially in this digital era. Ironically, people maybe only receive paper mails of bills and advertisements nowadays. Mail used to be a medium of connecting personal life and experiences with lots of emotion and affection. Just like photography, both of them face the impact of digitalisation and transform into new formats. I think putting them together will produce stronger feeling of the past and nostalgia. This is the birth of an envelop photo album.

p.s
I didn't get the chance to take pictures of them before deadline so i put some old books i made in the past to demonstrate instead.