On November 7th, 2006, my beloved grandfather passed away. This occurrence of course, had a tremendously emotional impact on my family and I. But alas, there seems to be something positive to pull from the experience.
My grandfather was one of the original “home movie” makers while my father was growing up in the 1950’s and 60’s. He had all kinds of equipment needed (”need” is debatable) for creating family memories, and when he passed, I somehow ended up with a great deal of it. I have all of his old film reels, his movie projector, and an old Kodak Carousel 35mm slide projector.
You could say I am the keeper of our family’s memories at the moment. I’m afraid to screw the old reels up if I were to play them, so I’ll leave those in there for now. But I’ve been meaning to find a use for the slide projector, and finally, I think I have.
I plan to create a series of images that evoke a sense of modern nostalgia, simply by virtue of the medium which allowed the possibility. The images won’t be of old family memories, rather, I’m applying a modern twist: By capturing digital photos inspired by architecture, landscape and natural and/or construction materials, I intend to highlight the possibility of timelessness, which is exemplified by their subject matter. This, along with the fact that they will be hand drawn (in either pencil, charcoal, oil pastels, or gesso) on pieces of primed wood, will emphasize the fragile nature of memories, and the delicate existence they assume as we grow older.
I have made seven 35mm slides to begin with. The process is this:
- Find the appropriate surface
- Find art supplies that will work for my needs
- Saw the wood into appropriate sizes
- Prime the wood
- Project the slides onto the primed wood surface
- Draw and/or paint a likeness of the image onto the board
- Consider framing options based on outcome of pieces
Once I have a collection of finished pieces, I plan to display them at a local gallery, along with the photographic prints themselves and a running slideshow projected from the carousel itself. All of which will further enhance the nostalgic experience, with modern imagery creating new memories for the viewer.
Keep an eye on this blog, as I intend to document the process going forward. I believe that the beauty of any artistic endeavor starts with process, which reveals alterations and surprises along the way that enrich the overall final product. Such is life, I suppose.
