Portfolio printing 'Dear Father'
In the past years I’ve learned so much from other artists and photographers online, so I’ve decided that one of my goals for 2020 could be sharing some behind the scenes stories with you as well.
‘Dear Father’ is a series of surreal photographic works which were on my mind for a long time and in the past years it slowly started to grow through trial and error (of course).
What is it about?
The most difficult thing for me is to describe in words what the project is about and maybe I need someone to write this for me. I wonder how you deal with this issue as an artmaker and would love it if you could share this with me in the comments (or send me a postcard? :)
And, eventhough I know it’s not good, I’ll try to tell you anyway in my own words what’s behind the images, so here it goes.
The series is made of black-and-white, surreal portraits, minimal, with elements of abstraction, like masks and headpieces. In my opinion items to conceal or cover up the truth or actual character. Dolls are a recurring item (in all my work). For me they represent a strange & uncanny fantasy world, which I learned to use as a little girl, to deal with the strained relationship with my father. A world of hiding and daydreams. The non-existing figures either represent this little girl or the grown woman she is now. The small elements tell the stories and emotions.
However, this is my world, but what I hope to achieve is, that you, as a viewer, can relate to the images with your own story and emotions in mind and perhaps find some comfort or answers for yourself.
Started with a journal
I started with a journal. A paper journal, in which I could leave notes that popped into my head as well as small prints and their development along the way. It helped me to declutter (if that’s a real word) all the ideas in my head and I started seeing lines and purpose of this series.
Print or not?
That’s been a question for some time now. Why should I print the work? And how should it be printed and respresented? A moodboard filled with thousands of ways to print a portfolio led me to prints on beautiful Hahnemuhle papers. Simple and good enough to tell the story of every individual image. However, I needed to do something with the fact that it’s hard for me to show this very personal work and actually prefer to hide it, as I’ve done my whole life. From this uncertainty I’ve tried things like old cigar boxes, in which photographs were hidden and I’ve also tried making some very small books and prints on all sorts of Japanese papers (I love the transparant, thin papers!).
All this together brought me to printing, finally, last week and bringing the ideas to life. Very small books, printed myself, with some additional prints on the Japanese papers. Sixteen little books and small prints of every work were the result. Every one of the 16 small books has a larger A4 print on Hahnemuhle Rice Paper - 100 grs) which is added on the last page. The book is sewn by me and one of my daughters, which wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. Some prints were upside down, or the holes didn’t match and more…, but hey, it’s a learning process!
It’s personal
To add this feeling of shame & incertainty I have closed the books with a black thread, which you have to cut open before you can see what’s inside. Of course I prefer when you leave the book closed and knotted. Therefor you can hang the one big print with four nails, with the little book still attached to it.
An example of how the book looks unfolded and hung without a frame
That’s it for now. In a next post I’ll share some ideas and pictures of the finished book and if there’s anything you’d like to see or know? Please let me know, I’ll be happy to share it with you.
Wishing you a beautiful and creative day.
Corina
