Rita Puig-Serra: Where Mimosa Bloom
1. Research a photo-book and describe the story it is communicating with reference to subject-matter, genre and approach to image-making.
2. Who is the photographer? Why did he/she make it? (intentions/ reasons) Who is it for? (audience) How was it received? (any press, reviews, awards, legacy etc.)
The photographer is called Rita Puig-Serra Costa
The book was created after the death of her mother, she made it as a way to deal with her grief following this.
The book “Where Mimosa Bloom” takes the form of an extended farewell letter with the use of photography presenting a visual outlook. It is part photo-essay, part family biography, part of a personal message to her mother.
The elements combine to create an intriguing view and discourse of love, sorrow and loss. The book is a finished result of over 2 years collecting different materials as well as preserving and maintaining them. She also took photographs of places, objects and people that had a significant part in her relationship to her mother.
She proves in her book that some aspects of grief can be universal or can be made so through the honest and precision with they are articulated.
The book is a First Edition and from what I found out it has:
- 460 copies
- 96 pages, 54 colour plates
- 5 die cut pages
- 16.0 cm x 22.5 cm
- Hot foil embossed printed textured hardcover
- Offset printing
- Éditions du LIC 2014
The book also explores themes of memory, nature, and the passage of time, specifically through the motif of the mimosa flower. It invites the reader into a sort of experience, offering not just a narrative through its images but also through the physicality of the object itself. To fully understand the book’s impact, it’s important to consider its narrative, design, and structure in detail.
3. Deconstruct the narrative, concept and design of the book and apply theory above when considering:
Book in hand: how does it feel? Smell, sniff the paper.
Paper and ink: use of different paper/ textures/ colour or B&W or both. Format, size and orientation: portraiture/ landscape/ square/ A5, A4, A3 / number of pages.
Binding, soft/hard cover. image wrap/dust jacket. saddle stitch/swiss binding/ Japanese stab-binding/ leperello
Cover: linen/ card. graphic/ printed image. embossed/ debossed. letterpress/ silkscreen/hot-stamping.
Title: literal or poetic / relevant or intriguing.
When you hold “Where Mimosa Bloom“, it’s clear that the book is designed to be an experience. The cover has a soft, linen texture that feels inviting and warm. It’s a tactile quality that pulls you in and encourages interaction. The weight of the book is substantial (not too heavy—just enough to feel like a well-crafted object in your hands).
When you open the book, you immediately notice the subtle scent of fresh paper and ink. It’s not overpowering, but it adds an extra sensory layer to the experience, especially when flipping through the pages. The texture of the pages is smooth with a slight tooth to them, which complements the natural themes of the book.
The paper used is slightly off-white with a matte finish. This paper choice isn’t glossy, which helps to prevent any glare, allowing the colours in the photographs to stand out in a more subdued, intimate way. The book is printed in full colour, and the images—often of lush landscapes, flowers, and natural settings—have a soft yet vibrant quality. The book is in portrait format, which feels appropriate for the subject matter, allowing each image to be presented with enough space to breathe. It’s not too large or too small; the dimensions strike a good balance for the photographs to hold the reader’s attention while still feeling accessible.
The book is bound using Swiss binding, which allows the pages to lay flat when opened. This binding style is ideal for a book like this, where the sequencing of images is essential. The cover is linen-wrapped, with an embossed title. There’s no dust jacket, which gives the book a more intimate feel. It’s minimal, but the tactile experience of the linen cover and embossed title make the book feel special.
The book has a hardcover as well as including inside matte paper pages this is consistent throughout the whole book.
The book is in a portrait format as well as in A4. The front cover has printed matte image of a young child, the front cover is quite blurry so it isn’t clear what the image actually is trying to make out to be. The title appears on the spine of the book which include the name of the photographer the title in the middle stating “WHERE MIMOSA BLOOM” as well as in the right corner “Editions du LIC”.
Narrative: what is the story/ subject-matter. How is it told?
Structure and architecture: how design/ repeating motifs/ or specific features develops a concept or construct a narrative.
Design and layout: image size on pages/ single page, double-spread/ images/ grid, fold- outs/ inserts.
Editing and sequencing: selection of images/ juxtaposition of photographs/ editing process.
Images and text: are they linked? Introduction/ essay/ statement by artists or others. Use of captions (if any.)
The story in Where Mimosa Bloom is not told in a traditional sense. It’s less about a linear narrative and more about an exploration of themes like memory, loss, and the fleeting beauty of nature. The mimosa bloom becomes a metaphor for these transitory moments in life—beautiful yet brief.
The book allows the images to communicate the narrative. There’s a quiet, reflective mood throughout it. The subject matter is focused on the mimosa flower and natural scenes, with images of landscapes, close-ups of flora, and the gentle play of light and shadow (relating to the title). These photographs don’t tell a story in a traditional sense but instead invite the viewer to reflect on the beauty of these moments and the passage of time.
The relationship between the images and text in Where Mimosa Bloom is minimal but thoughtful. There are no long essays or extensive captions; instead, the book relies on the photographs to tell the story. The text is used sparingly, with brief captions that offer a few words of reflection or context, but these are secondary to the images themselves.
The captions are brief and poetic, they’re not meant to explain the images but rather complement them, adding a layer of reflection that allows the viewer to dive deeper into the emotional and thematic elements of the book. The lack of extensive text allows the images to remain the focal point, which is key in this book, where the photographs themselves are the primary means of communication.
UNDERSTANDING PHOTOBOOKS:
“Where Mimosa Bloom” is a thoughtfully designed photobook that explores themes of impermanence, memory, and the beauty of nature. Its careful attention to physical details—the tactile quality of the paper, the thoughtful binding, and the use of space—invites the reader to engage with the book in a sensory way. The narrative is built through the images themselves, with minimal text, allowing the viewer to experience the fleeting beauty of the mimosa blooms and reflect on the passage of time.
The book’s structure, design, and layout all work together to create an experience where each image is given the space to resonate and connect with the viewer. Through careful sequencing, image selection, and the integration of text, Where Mimosa Bloom becomes more than just a collection of photographs and turns into an emotional and sensory journey that encourages reflection on the transience of life.
