House of Leaves and other words
I thought I’d sit down and talk about some things the best I can (which, let’s be honest: isn’t great). Things, meaning, my word usage in my work.
Lately I’ve been really getting into text on photographs, whether it be done in photoshop or the flash projections (which by the way, once I get ahold of my own old film camera that no longer works, I will post a tutorial on how to do it!).
A lot of my inspiration came from House of Leaves. It took me about a month to get through (it’s the size of a text book and there are some really dense parts) and there are moments, phrases, sections of the book that have stuck in my mind and weaseled their way into my thinking process. I love Danielewski for changing the game of what a book should read like, how it should flow, how it should look on the page and most importantly, how the way the text is actually placed on the page affects the meaning or the importance of words, sentences, paragraphs.
How do words affect photography?
Don’t you get annoyed when you’re at a museum and you’re not quite sure what it means, so maybe the title will help you feel it, and then you see it’s untitled. Personally, that turns me off and I don’t connect with the artwork. Titles help me so much.
So why can’t titles be a part of the photograph and why do titles have to be apart from it? Combine the two, I say! Revel in these words and sentences!
I used to listen to the band Panic! At the Disco. I have long since abandoned them (Gotye’s Making Mirrors is heavily on repeat and giving me inspiration as of late) but some things stuck with me:
- Ryan Ross’s way with words and describing feelings
- TITLES! Man, they loved their titles and I loved them for it.
I think they were the first to make me realize how important words and titles are. I mean, I’ve listened to/read more bands/books that have had an impact on me, but I think P!ATD is when my eyes started to open a little and then House of Leaves came along and opened them wide.
I love using quotations from this book (as well as others..). It’s not even that the quotes add a literal meaning to my photography. I don’t want that. A picture of a girl with 900+ words describing what is not in a space doesn’t tell you the meaning of the work, but for me, it adds the feeling.
The blankness of that place.
I think blankness is a reoccurring theme now. I feel like blank has so many meanings and that word gives me a lot of feelings.
Fishtank/blank. Revelator. Concealer. Poisoner.
To be quite honest, the text I use reflects my feelings. That’s why I use them.
God, I’m not even sure this post is coherent.
