Larry's Paper's 15th February 2009
Seth, a New York based mixed media artist has initiated a fascinating project. He has invited artists to create a paper bundle, place it outdoors, "then watch and wait". We each post a "before" photograph on our blogs and then, on May 1st, we will all post our "afters".
For some time now, I have been wondering what I should do with a small suitcase of personal papers that belonged to my mother's cousin Larry, whom I discovered whilst researching our family history. When I found him, Larry was near the end of his life and living in a residential home. the oldest member of our family, he had not seen a relative for many years and we grew to love each other. When he died, all that was left of him was a collection of old utility and council tax bills and other paper remnants of life's mundane necessities. Although this ephemera was of no geneological use, I didn't want to throw it away and I've been pondering how they might be integrated into a commemorative artwork. So here are Larry's papers, hanging on the shed wall opposite our kitchen. After May, I should have wonderfully mouldy bits of paper to scan and incorporate into digital images and then I will either make some altered art with them or put them on the compost heap to nourish the vegetables on our allotment. Larry would have preferred the latter and being a very down to earth chap, he would almost certainly have considered the project a "bloody daft thing to do". Hopefully, the birds in our garden will come and perch on the papers which would, at least, have made Larry smile.
There is a link to Seth's Disintegration Collaboration blog: THE ALTERED PAGE in the sidebar of this blog
Seth, a New York based mixed media artist has initiated a fascinating project. He has invited artists to create a paper bundle, place it outdoors, "then watch and wait". We each post a "before" photograph on our blogs and then, on May 1st, we will all post our "afters".
For some time now, I have been wondering what I should do with a small suitcase of personal papers that belonged to my mother's cousin Larry, whom I discovered whilst researching our family history. When I found him, Larry was near the end of his life and living in a residential home. the oldest member of our family, he had not seen a relative for many years and we grew to love each other. When he died, all that was left of him was a collection of old utility and council tax bills and other paper remnants of life's mundane necessities. Although this ephemera was of no geneological use, I didn't want to throw it away and I've been pondering how they might be integrated into a commemorative artwork. So here are Larry's papers, hanging on the shed wall opposite our kitchen. After May, I should have wonderfully mouldy bits of paper to scan and incorporate into digital images and then I will either make some altered art with them or put them on the compost heap to nourish the vegetables on our allotment. Larry would have preferred the latter and being a very down to earth chap, he would almost certainly have considered the project a "bloody daft thing to do". Hopefully, the birds in our garden will come and perch on the papers which would, at least, have made Larry smile.
There is a link to Seth's Disintegration Collaboration blog: THE ALTERED PAGE in the sidebar of this blog
7 comments:
What a great story and a wonderful way to use these meaningful papers. So glad you decided to be a part of this project!
Thank you so much for visiting my blog...now I can find out more about your lovely project! What a perfect way to cherish these otherwise "mundane" bits of paper....awesome idea!
That is so sweet .... Larry sounds like a fine gentlemanly sort .... "daft" is such a polite term. My husband has only given me the rolling of the eyes and a muttering under his breath. I'll have to tell him about Larry and the wonderful adjective "daft."
This is a lovely interpretation of the project ....
Quite sad when life's end is little more than a pile of utility bills...
Compost...especially the gas bills...
I like "bonkers".
great to see you are playing along too. I am so anxious to see what will happen, maybe even a little impatient :o)
I think Larry must be smiling already! Great bundle and such a great back story too!
I fell in love with Larry!! lol I think your project is even cooler knowing the story behind the bundle!
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