Recently my enthusiasm and inspiration for my chosen research project - The West Indian Centre has somewhat decreased. I seem to have hit a brick wall with what I want to achieve and the artwork that can come from the information I have gathered. I almost feel like there are too many avenues in which I could travel down and I cant seem to make a decision of which avenue is best or most engaging when taking into consideration the audience looking at my book.
To combat this, I decided to have a little play with layout for the book. In the past I have always felt this has helped me visually communicate ideas as it gives possible outcomes and context in which ideas can sit and I know what works and what I am working with in terms of overall structure.
Here is what I came up with:
Postives
The idea behind this book is that each page is folded and bound in such a way that each acts a pocket. On each page throughout the book there will be artwork relating to an event experience, and within each pocket there will be a paper cut piece of artwork representing a typical souvenir found at the event on the night. I really like this idea as it brings a little bit of the event to the audience looking through the book, and this added element and interaction creates interest. It is a little different.
Negatives
I am not sure if this structure of book counts as a saddle stitch which is something i will need to ask about in terms of sticking to the brief.
Positives
This next book I feel really lends itself to the exploration into the music played at an event at the West Indian Centre. Each page of the concertina is cut to resemble a vinyl record with artwork on some of the pages engineered to spin like a record on a vinyl player. This could be where the text element appears throughout the book. The whole book itself acts like a vinyl record once folded up and fits into an illustrated vinyl sleeve representing the night in which it is to be "played" at. I Really like the "package" and professional feel of this dummy book which gives it potential and like its play on records.
Negatives
The format of each page will be difficult to construct and bind together as I am not sure how well printing this out on one long roll of paper will be.
Also the round page format could affect the artwork in an unpredictable way - the hole in the centre could take away from the pieces.
In keeping with the concertina layout, this nect book provides the platform for an idea that really interests me and links well with the research I have gathered so far.
The inside artwork would represent one long continuous panorama of an event, each area of the event split up by floor to ceiling speakers so that different areas can be featured. Beginning with the queue to get inside the event, leading through to the bar area, and then onto the first room, then the smoking area, on into the second room and finishing with leaving back through the entrance at 6am when the event closes and the sun begins to rise.
The text/quotes/song lyrics throughout the book could feature on small spinning vinyls to continue the theme.
I really like the "full circle" idea of this book, how the audience can be taken on a real visual journey through an event.
Negatives
I can't really think of any real negatives to this book other than the artwork itself will have to be pretty amazing to keep the audience engaged and represent an event at the centre and its atmosphere.
Positives
Whilst researching the West Indian Centre and its events, I noticed the main way in which these events get noticed and publicised is through flyers.
This book is a representation of that, each page being perforated so you can rip the flyer out and keep the artwork and each flyer is of a specific event held at the centre. Some are paper engineered to fold and pop up and I really like the way this book could be looked at as an official record of everything that goes on at the West Indian Centre. Each flyer for each event is a good way to show contrast between what happens here and how the centre is used and how important it is to the community.
Negatives
I am not sure if there would be enough separate current events going on to fill the book with a flyer for each page so I will probably have to double up which may effect the impact and flow. A way to sort this is I could focus on the events at the centre through history to present day, also giving the book a stronger sense of journey and "story through time".
Positives
This final book is one of my favourites in terms of concept and interaction with the audience.
Each page is folded and bound in such a way that the artwork is hidden within the book and inaccessible. Each visible page of the book has artwork resembling a ticket stub and advertisement for a certain event. In order to access the artwork within relating to that specific event, you have to tear the end of the ticket stub away along the perforated edge (as you would an actual ticket) which then reveals the artwork inside. Each torn off piece will also be a piece of artwork in its own right, turning into either a speaker or souvenir from the night you have just accessed.
This book is all about interaction and creating a personal experience for the audience who have to take it upon themselves to tear the book open to access the artwork. I think it is memorable.
Negatives
Will people actually tear into the artwork? It is a bit of a gamble this one and I guess the first person who looks at the book will have to tear open all of the pages in order for anyone else to view the artwork and not just think it is a book for tickets stubs. Maybe this is better for a personal project to be given to one person to experience?
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Overall I great fun making these dummy books and seeing visually where my ideas can lead. I am still not feeling 100% reconnected with my chosen research and location and I still have very little clue as to where it can all need, but getting the creative juices flowing and working on some possible book solutions has definitely helped.
Time to suck it up and make some key decisions!
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