To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do for this weeks brief. I’m not a massive fan of what I’ve done, and its somewhat of a work in progress too. I definitely think it’s missing something. I also don’t even think I’ve done it right. All that aside, I quite like the minimal way I’ve made it look. Here it is:
A strong start to your catalogue, I like that you’ve chosen objects that you wouldn’t initially consider putting together to compare. The minimal aesthetic personally enhances the focus that I have on each object especially working well on the ‘main colours’ page and the ‘what they mean to me’ page’. Reading their connection or lack of puts the object in perspective, with your comments around ironic Yu-gi-oh and the Gum that should be in the bin. It really adds to your work as it makes it more personal and fun.
Moving forward I think exploring more methods of communication of these objects will add more depth to your catalogue – exploring sound somehow or maybe the iconic slogans that fit within each brand. Aphex Twin’s visual language is so iconic it would be cool to see you explore that at some point within this project as you have some nice ideas.
My first impression of your publication was quite visually pleasing. The publication looks minimalistic and feels very personal. You’ve put three items together in a line which worked very well especially for ‘location on desk’ section. I feel like you can definitely have more pages like this. It would be really intriguing to have more methods of translation of these items.
I like the fact that you are ‘not really a massive fan of what you have done’ and that you are unsure on what you have done, I would invite you to further reflect upon this. Why? Why are you not satisfied with it? What areas/approaches do you like about it? I believe that writing, or reflection can assist in clarifying and assisting in working through these barriers / challenges and ultimately overcoming them. So this is a good position to be in!
From my point of view I very much enjoyed your writing, reading the memories associated with the objects conjured strong snippets of your past; the car journeys, the red crate, your relationship with your families. I began to think about where the car journeys were going? A family holiday? Visiting friends. And how emotive a car journey is; to stare out of the window at the passing scenery.
Your observations and writing could become a focus? Or brought into focus more? I was also interested in your reflections on the other objects. It made me want to see a photograph of your desk, to relocate / resituate them in actual space.
George! I think you have a lot to go on, working through ideas via testing, experimenting, iterating and reflection assists with how we progress and develop. I look forward to seeing how you respond to Curate!