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
