Week 8

What I did

Monday: [3hrs]
I'm thinking about collaborative mail art. I'm really interested in different languages and how they look visually since I can't read most of them. I wonder what kind of project could circulate, accumulate these words, and come home. It would be my visual poetry with written poetry from around the world.

Mail Art
By country

USPostal Mail conditions by country

visualpoetrymailartexhibit.blogspot

Rewrote project proposal to show at Tuesday Crit


Tuesday: Critique presented some issues I knew that I had coming however after going to work
I had an epiphany. I had spoke to my father on the phone. I thought of a way to combine narritive, visual communication, paper craft, practicality, and interaction by creating paper pinhole cameras.
This also taps into my interest in mechanical camera structure. In my free time I repair old soviet 35mm cameras.

[5hrs] 

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Homemade_pinhole_camera#Roll_film_or_sheet_film
Slide film vs. 35 mm, spoke to my dad about the pros and cons.
http://www.alfagraphics.com/
Walgreens supposedly develops slide film.

Thinking of ways to eliminate variables, sending sheet film to limit use to one photo per receiver.
There would be a greater motivation and control from volunteers, if I establish a network and promote the idea.

During studio I researched paper-pinhole cameras and found a 1979 czechloslovakian paper camera printed in magazines to avoid communist censorship for image creation. I printed the "Dirkon" and began to assemble it, despite the fact that the instructions are in Czech. By doing this, I was able to see the key components that I need to design my own camera.

I found this project when I thought I had this epic idea, and found a lot of simularities and really clever solutions to things I didn't even think about. This is part of my artist resource.
http://www.petapixel.com/2010/12/22/concept-cardboard-pinhole-camera-shoots-instant-photos

I want to push the idea further though, past friendship.

I just realized how crucial the IP grant is to this project. I pay for my education through financial aid, working every year to save (since 15), and loans. The grant form asks if you receive any financial aid, but it all goes to my tuition. I hope I can pull this project off, because without the funds for film, and paper, (and postage), I'm sunk.


Wednesday: [2hrs] Budget planning, calling printers in ann arbor to get price estimates for fullcolor digital printing on cardstock, film prices, and postage prices. Also contacted Matt Shlian about suggested weights of cardstock and where to find it.

Rewrote Proposal again:

My integrative project focuses on visual poetry and communication. I have a passion for paper folding, and I plan to create interactive paper forms that have the potential tell a narrative through pacing and sequence of folding.  I envision these as easy-to-assemble paper-craft that require the user to engage in and establish a relationship with. The narratives will contain text, prompting a visual response. Specifically, I want to focus on designing paper pinhole cameras that prompt the receiver to photograph their favorite place in the world. My paper-craft pieces would be the medium for understanding people’s attachment to location and feeling their personal stories through their responses. The user engages with the structure, feels something, and adds their reaction. To eliminate all variables, I would like to send these paper craft with a single slide of film to willing volunteers following a “mail-art” structure, with a return postage and use their collection stories in the gallery space. I will promote the project to build a database and community who will be willing to participate. The challenge is to find a way to incorporate interaction, interest and understanding, while keeping motivation to return the work. 

Thursday: [6hrs] I kept working on the Dirkon (czech) paper camera model to see how it works. There is a shutter mechanism and a removable cover to insert 35mm film. During studio hours I also scanned this book that my friend had in her IP studio. It taught me that the whole concept of a camera started from the notion of "camera obscura" meaning vaulted dark room, where a single hole in a wall could be used as basic projector for images onto walls. I took notes. I also spent some more time budgeting and researching papercraft cameras.

What I discovered 
I finally found a project that I'm interested in and excited to jump into. I found a way to combine papercraft, my passion for fixing up old cameras, visual communication, into one project.

To do next
Time to get my shit together. I found my passion right in time for my IP grant. I need to make prototypes to photograph for the grant, so I will start designing my own easy to assemble pinhole cameras. I obviously will need to test them out to make sure they work, which will be enjoyable.