Family Photo Albums #3

The family photo album project is gaining momentum and over the past month I have been documenting family albums within my studio and creating my own archive. The images provided is are examples of what this project is aiming to create a entire collection. Although each album contains unique photographs to each family, the albums themselves develop a history of their own.For those of you unfamiliar with this project and those that might become interested in assisting me in this project I will give a reintroduction for you.

Late last year I began a series of photographs that examined family snapshots and body language within each image. I have since moved onto examining the albums in which snapshots are contained within. I am asking for your help in order to collect albums from all over to begin documenting them in my studio. I am not looking to have the photographs themselves, but your old albums or shoe boxes to photograph them as part of this project. They will be within my possession for no more than two weeks and will be returned as they came to me. This project can only go so far without help from other outside of my area.

I believe that these containers may have the same inherent value as the items we place in them. Through this project I want to discover what importance we place on them and perhaps uncover what happens when I remove them from their context of their home. By placing them in my lighting studio, I am removing all external ways of perceiving the owner and its history. When we look at them in this space, we can begin to develop a profile and character for their owner. In a way, these albums may be stand-ins for us as we allow others to view our albums.

If you are interested in contact me and assisting this project please email me at: info@justinscwhab.com

Twitter: @justin_schwab

Update on Kickstarter Project

About 2 weeks ago I started a project on Kickstarter to help fund my Everything Waffles project. Support has been coming in from both on and off the website. I am still looking for more support through funding or just re-tweeting or “Liking” the project. This will help me create my self-published book in April and create more photos. Please follow the link below and help support the project!

July 2010

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/900240393/everything-waffles-creating-portraits-from-the-web

Justin and Waffles Kickstarter Project

Having started the book and creating videos online for the Everythingwaffles.com website, I have started a Kickstarter to help the project. I am seeking to raise $1,500 to complete all aspects of the project. More information about the project can be found at my Kickstarter page.

The funding for the project runs until March 6 however the project itself will take further months to complete. As the books are printed and sold, part of the funding will go to the original animal rescue center where I got waffles and also the Humane Society.

 

 

 

You can find the full link here:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects

The original book link:

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore

Justin and Waffles: Portraits From the Web

Finally my self-published book of portraits with Waffles has been published and printed. This book is comprised of 15 portraits with Waffles over the past year reflected internet images circulating the web. You can check out the preview below and if you are interested in a copy please let me know.

JUSTIN AND WAFFLES by Justin Schwab | Make Your Own Book

 

Copy this link until infinity and help me publish project across the very source from where this project came from.

As a reminder, Everythingwaffles.com is a website now. It is experiencing some issues right now but it is a great place to see some of the videos that have been made.

 

A Request For Your Family Albums

As I continue to work with family as a part of my recent work, I have stumbled across a new series of images that I would like to pursue. Unlike the first part of this project where I recreated past family photos, I want to look at the places where we put photos. After handling so many of my own family images, I discovered that the shoe boxes and albums they were kept in were just as interesting as the images themselves.

I look at these containers as a geologist might see a core sample of rocks. As the old boxes fall part and new ones are added, we can see the layers of history unique to each family. This personal archive exists in all families that collect their own images. Whether it is in an album or a tin can, these containers become an intimate item within the family.

Now to the part where you come in, I would like to ask for these containers from your family so that I may document them. I do not expect to have the family photos in these when given to me, but the boxes and albums themselves. As I understand these are precious in some cases just like the photos, all care will be taken to ensure their safety. Whether I pick them up personally or you wish them to be shipped to me, I will cover all expenses in this processes. These images of the albums will be for my professional practice and they will part of my larger body of work dealing with family.

If you are interested in allowing me to documenting these boxes and albums, contact me through email at info@justinschwab.com or find me on twitter at justin_schwab.

 

 

 

Justin and Waffles Book

After working on the self-portraits with Waffles over the past year and half, I finally decided to bring all of the images to book. This book is more than just what I have shown and holds many images that have not been seen. With all of the costumes and source images, I believe this represents a survey of portraiture through the past few decades. The main purpose of including Waffles in this body of work is to insert a trending topic(cats) into portraits that followed trends during the time they were taken.

July 2010

From the original photo above, my goal in this series of images is to portray myself in a similar setting as the original. This body of work stands as a survey of styles and photographic trends that circulate through the internet and a re-contextualized from their location online.

Along with this book, I have started a website to continue this series of images with not only photos, but videos as well. I approach these in a similar way to find trends of videos found on YouTube and elsewhere and match that style while using my cat Waffles to alter that meaning.

Currently this book edition has a limited quantity so please contact me if you may be interested.

To keep up with this body of work, visit everythingwaffles.com or justinschwab.com

Another Countdown Announcement

Here is another video discussing the special announcement coming on 12/1/2011. more things have developed and there will be more surprises on the way on that date.

 

 

Family Photos Part 1: Installation

After the amount of responses from friends and supporters, my project using family photographs expanded and incorporated new elements. This project was created in response after examining many family photos. What you see in these photos is only a small part of the installation which uses a sound clip projected out of the chair at a low volume.

After sitting in the chair, the viewer begins to hear a telephone ringing near them at a volume that can be heard only while sitting in the chair or standing next to it. This is a constant part of the chair, looping continuously and without the viewers control of stopping it.

Although the family photographs are of my own family, the project is not intended to be autobiographical. The focus remains on the uncomfortable sound projected around the viewer and the interaction with the photos displayed on the wall that act more as objects than photographs.

Not familiar with my project using family photographs? Check out the project here and learn more.

Special Announcement 2011

Today I am proud to announcement, a countdown to an announcement. After finishing the latest Waffles portrait and putting it online, I have a new project that will be announced on December 1st of this year. It does seem strange to make an announcement to make an announcement later but since this is a much larger undertaking.

As I approach the work on this project, you can expect sneak peeks found on here and subtle hints to what will be to come. This project is going to require much of my time and effort so the pay off should be worth the wait.

Again thank you for your patience and let the countdown begin.

Not a Performance

I have been meaning to put up some videos of the boring parts of setting up for a portrait with Waffles. Now that my space is a little bigger I can just set the camera and record away.

Honestly I edited out everything but the boring part of the video just for your entertainment. Honestly, would you expect anything different?

What more could you ask for than a video of a man ironing fabric? Perhaps a new photo with Waffles?

Perhaps.