Back in July 2014 I posted about being part of a long term collaboration with some other Open College of Arts students – see here. Well thanks to Yiann the project is now almost complete. Here is the finished book.
This below is what we all had to do…Stephanie was the architect
The Nearest Faraway Place (Project Guidelines)
This project is about sharing between OCA students across the globe. It is a project to which every student involved will contribute one picture. They will produce a 6×4 print of their picture, and add the print to a book that is sent from one student to another, growing as it progresses.The book will be a concertina form – see an example shared by Yiann here.
This picture gives a general idea of a concertina book form, but ours will be in landscape form and not square, and it will be longer and thicker than this example when it is completed.The book will be started by Tanya in New York and then travel west around the globe until it ends up at OCA HQ in the UK. Tanya will complete the first page with her picture and some handwritten notes about where and when it was made, and then send it to Stephanie in Chicago. I will add my picture and send on to the next most westerly student. I will manage the project and will let each student know the address of the person they need to send the book to next.
What to do when you get the book
First, you should make your picture and get it printed in 6×4” landscape format. The picture should be inspired by the theme ‘The Nearest Faraway Place’ but there are no rules for how you do this. The place you choose can be a real place or an imaginary place or a concept or idea. You might be inspired by one of the other students’ pictures and want to respond to that or might want to do something completely different. The only limit is your own imagination. Be free – enjoy this opportunity to play and to share something meaningful with other students.Once you have a print you need to add it to the book.
Do not worry about being neat or getting things wrong. This is a book of many hands and it is not meant to be perfect and machine-like. Little adjustments and imperfections will make it more interesting and more real, more of a handmade object and less digitally perfect.The book should be sent on to the next person on the list within 10 days of your receiving it. If that might be a problem please contact Stephanie (stephanie.dhubert@hotmail.fr) as soon as you can.
Sharing online
We want to document the progress of the book it in this thread so that everyone can follow it. Please post any pictures you want to share of the book as it arrives/leaves you, as well as the picture you contribute. Please also take time to share your thoughts on the experience and any other reflections you want to add.When the book is completed we hope to find a permanent way to record the project online, perhaps in a website dedicated to it. More of that later – for now – let us all enjoy this journey!
I cant wait to order a physical copy.
anomiepete 