// L E P O R E L L O //
As a first glance at presentation techniques and formatting, the ‘Leporello’ book style is an areas I would like to investigate and analyse. This method of presentation includes a concertina fold which zig-zags paper forwards and backwards to create a folded booklet which can be printed on both sides. The book can be read in order as a standard story-book layout, or unfolded like an accordion to create a long project similar to a timeline. There is something aesthetically pleasing about being able to see each of the visual pages in one go which is something I admire in this presentation technique.
Looking at the possibility of using this within my own project, I could investigate the idea of pairing words and photos side by side to create this visual narrative of each character. I could also look at placing one set of images (the internal shoots for example) on one side, with the landscapes on the reverse creating a divide between the different characters.
THOMAS DEMAND
‘The Dailies’ is a project created by Thomas Demand is a book documenting a collection of carefully formed paper and card sculptures which are photographed before being destroyed. Each creation is based on something seen and photographed as part of a street photography project. Highlighting a world that is both familiar but also out of reach.
“The images lure the viewer into a mirror world, a twin universe made only of paper. But the imperfect models are awash with discrepancies from actual things, and as such, they act as small ruptures that complicate the old indexical bond between a photograph and reality. Demand describes the series as Haiku poetry, simple fragments strung together to inspire reflection; they are the stock of our daily lives, but as they trigger deja vu through performed repetition, they ask us to look again, anew, to find in the repertoire an ordinary but redemptive beauty.”
– Taken from ‘The Daileys’ description of Demand’s personal website
The 32-page book can be displayed in a circular layout (as shown above), due to its leporello binding. Each concertina page can be folded and twisted to form a structure and a sculpture in itself. ‘The Dailies‘ book design was actually created and presented by Naomi Mizusaki who has worked with Thomas Demand on a number of projects. The images within this project as less relevant to my work than the binding and structure itself of the final project. Most of the images depict urban street scenes, often with a surreal aspect of colourful isolation hidden within them.
Following the research into this book, I am keen to look into the concertina and leporello formats further and perhaps make a smaller test to try out the style with a few of my own photos. This style could be used to present my ideas on leaving home and the fears associated with it. One side could for example show a ‘traditional’ view of home, the internal photos taken from within the house, while the other highlights a version of home that comes from emotional attachment. The second side for example could show the places where people really feel at home, outside in the landscapes they have come to love with friends rather than family.