Well, after much angst and anguish our books have met and we are all very happy.
Both Susan and I have been a bit bewildered by how we crossed wires on these books and have struggled to work with what we were each given and just about every step of the way felt like we veered off course but struggled to right ourselves again. Honestly, it was that hard.
We chose to make big perspex books - mine stands 60cm high and Susan's is slightly shorter.
They are both concertina style and stand majestically, but we have no photos of them standing majestically together because they are impossible to photograph!
This come about primarily because of the reflective nature of perspex; and this combined with their size means that they catch lots of reflections. And worst of all our house has loads of windows, few if any blinds or curtains and an angled roof with lots of timber trusses - so not even a flat white ceiling to reflect.
We have done our humble best to capture the two of the meeting together quite demurely. But some of the angles and details are still delicious. Enjoy!
Here's a lower angled shot of the two, side by side, but still with a great streak of clerestory window light across them...
Because this is what happened when we tried to shoot the from straight above - see what I mean about reflection?!?!?!
So it was down to the really lower angled shots, and details...
I think that despite the photographic challenges and the ups and downs along the way - we are both thrilled with the books. They are glorious standing statements which both express us well - once again, they look like us.
I'll post more fully on my book in the next wee while, telling the story and showing better photographs of it standing...but for now, it's just so great to have them done and to have seen them both together.
Both Susan and I have been a bit bewildered by how we crossed wires on these books and have struggled to work with what we were each given and just about every step of the way felt like we veered off course but struggled to right ourselves again. Honestly, it was that hard.
We chose to make big perspex books - mine stands 60cm high and Susan's is slightly shorter.
They are both concertina style and stand majestically, but we have no photos of them standing majestically together because they are impossible to photograph!
This come about primarily because of the reflective nature of perspex; and this combined with their size means that they catch lots of reflections. And worst of all our house has loads of windows, few if any blinds or curtains and an angled roof with lots of timber trusses - so not even a flat white ceiling to reflect.
We have done our humble best to capture the two of the meeting together quite demurely. But some of the angles and details are still delicious. Enjoy!
Here's a lower angled shot of the two, side by side, but still with a great streak of clerestory window light across them...
Because this is what happened when we tried to shoot the from straight above - see what I mean about reflection?!?!?!
So it was down to the really lower angled shots, and details...
I think that despite the photographic challenges and the ups and downs along the way - we are both thrilled with the books. They are glorious standing statements which both express us well - once again, they look like us.
I'll post more fully on my book in the next wee while, telling the story and showing better photographs of it standing...but for now, it's just so great to have them done and to have seen them both together.
As always happens when you and Susan post about your books meeting, I sit over here and sigh and wish and sigh a few more times and imagine that meeting of you, Susan, Pam and I. Can't help but wonder what our 4 books would look like...
ReplyDeleteYour burning books are brilliant. More please!
There will be more soon I promise J! The book meeting is such a lovely moment; we ooh and ahh and admire and exchange and it is a great thing to stop and acknowledge them together. I know wouldn't we have fun pulling together 4 books from an exchange of sorts??? But hen we'd have to arrange a meeting...go well!
DeleteThe meeting will come. Until then...how about an exchange of papers, pages? A round robin of sorts. It could work, couldn't it?
DeleteI'm sure we could wangle something! And then that would encourage a meeting somewhere, sometime...
DeleteEven with reflections these look great. I love the cut out words.
ReplyDeleteHow did you get the perspex edges to cut to cleanly?
Thanks Jac - it's always fun to see how we both deal with things differently...thanks for liking my words! I had my perspex cut to size at a shop; as did Susan I think; but at other times we use a perspex scoring tool and drag it across the perspex line several times until it has 'dug' into the perspex; then balance that edge over a table and karate chop!
DeleteLovely, lovely work! Congratulations to you both on finishing them!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Sharmon - it was a true labour of love and anguish this one! Mine has a few things still to iron out even now...
Deletegosh they dance well together look forward to seeing more photos of the books standing and open
ReplyDelete(placing them open on a light box in a darkened room could work, the light will illuminate the etching on the perspex)
They are very happy together this pair, you are right Mo! We might try the lightbox and dark room and see what happens...I was thinking I might have to shoot at night and see what happens. Still it's probably just a good excuse to invite everybody to the Noosa show to see them in the flesh ! ; ) Go well.
DeleteYou two are so lucky to be near enough to collaborate like this.Finding someone with like minded ideas and skills is such a privilege and you do each other justice every time. I love the respect you have for each others thoughts and processes. Another intriguing result that I shall enjoy seeing more of in a future post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lesley - you are so right, and we both recognise and acknowledge the good fortune that has us living 20 minutes drive away from each other; often times kindred spirits are located halfway around the world...
DeleteThe respect for each other and each other's work always shines through I think and often makes us make better work...
I can only echo that last comment so whole-heartedly! I would LOVE to find someone to collaborate with and bounce ideas off and give to.
ReplyDeleteThese are just lovely. Even with the technical difficulties of photographing them, the layers, the textures and the interplay of text on image are extraordinary!
It's pretty special Charlton and even tho we come from different artistic backgrounds, we seem to share an aesthetic and an approach that just works. We know how fortunate we are for that to be the case. There are some really lovely things going on in these books - the layering, the text, the meaning...they will stand strong and be beautiful in the Gallery.
DeleteWell done on another successful collaboration! The unusual format is so enticing, and they both look well together, yet very special and individual. It will be fun to see more images of your book when you can face another photo-taking session! So interesting to see the extra layer added by the reflections, though - like another dimension...
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Lisa, they look amazingly well together given that neither of us and a clue what the other was doing! The perspex offers so much (including challenges I still need to resolve) and I should probably just embrace the reflections!
ReplyDeletehow rich your collaboration is!
ReplyDeleteIndeed V - sometimes it feels as if we have a tapped a rich vein of creative collaboration. Go well.
Delete