Ever since my first high school photography class, I've had a fascination with pictures and what they mean. As a (semi) practicing artist today, I'm interested in making things look like something they're not, or making something out of several things that are kind of unexpected. It's probably why I'm drawn to TTV photography, because it means I can take a modern picture and make it look like it's not modern.
Another thing I've had an interest in is collecting vintage photographs. These are memories that no one remembers anymore, taken completely out of context. The faces and period dress make me wonder what was happening in the frame, and who the people were.
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| My Grandfather, Italy |
I've always wondered what would happen if we assigned new memories to these photographs, what sort of meaning we could give them. The possibilities are absolutely endless. So when I was in the bookstore the other day and found
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, I was intrigued. When I flipped through and found the text peppered with strange, haunting photographs, I was hooked.
The author,
Ransom Riggs, has taken this collection of found images and made them into a fantastical story. Some of the images are a little creepy and make me think of Diane Arbus (one of my favorites), and some of the images are fairly pedestrian but have taken on a creepy feeling because of the text. It's an interesting book, and as an "art project," I loved it. Not so much for the plot, more for the concept. However, I think that the next time I read it I'll get more into the story itself and less into the whole "It's a book with vintage creepy photography, this guy is the best!" Can't wait to see what else he's going to do.
Anyway, I've been inspired to add to my collection of vintage pics. Here are some of my finds:
So many posibilities...the artist in me is excited!
