kayl parker

here is a sampling of what i found under the tree yesterday morning.

1. it’s beautiful here, isn’t it… photographs by luigi ghirri// this book was given to me by my wonderful grandparents. it has a preface by william eggleston, an amazing introduction to ghirri’s lifetime of work by germano celant and selected samplings from ghirri’s own writings, as well as a huge amount of his photographs (some of which i have never seen. i’ve already read the beginning, focusing mostly on celant’s writings. “photography is a limbo-like universe, a ghostly habitat without boundaries or limits, a territory in which fog reigns supreme…here the boundaries…mingle, intersect and fluctuate making things inseparable.”

2. seattle’s chocolates, san juan sea salt// found this chocolate bar in my stocking, i’ve been trying not to eat every piece of chocolate given to me yesterday, so this one was saved from the carnage. but i think this picture says about all you need to know about what it’s going to taste like. delicious.

3. eggling (basil)// this little guy was also in my stocking. funny, because cody had told me about them being at the mca right before we left for break. (i miss cody.)

4. niagra by alec soth// you all know my obsession (1, 2, 3) with alec soth’s work, so i won’t go into detail about his work. however, along with my luigi ghirri book, i also received niagra. though i’ve looked through this book over a dozen times, i can now say i own it.

5. moleskine’s film journal// i’m sure you can probably guess how useful this will be. from my mom, stuffed in my stocking.

6. anthropologie bronze age flatware// also from my parents, now i actually have flatware that not only matches each other, but also matches me! it’s a beautiful copper pink color, like just about every kitchen accessory from the 60s. i adore this color on just about everything, but seeing as my silverware collection is from three different people and doesn’t match at all, i’m excited to get to use them and keep them laying in my kitchen drawers.

7. uta barth: contemporary artists// another artist have am constantly referencing/talking about, uta barth’s book shows a myriad of her previous projects as well as a good chunk of writing about these projects. i have only looked through the book, so i’ll have to update you on the actual articles.

8. kinder chocolates// delicious. period.

9. vera bradley mini wallet// perfect for scanning my school i.d. without hassle. thanks to my older sister for a great idea.

10. lomography 360 spinner 35mm camera// yes, this camera is beautiful. all black, very few buttons, absolutely no clutter. the stippled surface offers a tactile attachment to the entire piece, and the camera itself carries a beautiful weight (probably thanks to the metal body). but the camera isn’t just for looks (though, in my opinion, it could be wonderful simply based on that). it isn’t an average camera; taking panoramic shots up to four times longer than the average ones, the spinner from lomography creates beautiful and unnerving landscape portraits that capture everything around the photography, causing a displacement of the viewer of the picture produced. i will definitely post examples as soon as i can (expect a few towards the beginning and middle of february).

11. ice cream towel// i have no idea where its from or who put it in my stocking, but its adorable nonetheless, and will be seen hanging from the oven in my apartment kitchen come february.

kp

i think the title of the book itself speaks a lot about the content within it. this is my second draft, a 8.5x11in softcover perfect-bound book with 38 pages. there are a few spreads i need to alter before ordering a final (that will be for sale via the website.)

the idea behind the project is still growing, and i feel by continuously posting blog posts about it, the subject becomes redundant. but by opting to write an abundance of comments about the project, i’m hoping to gain a greater understanding of why it has become so fascinating to me. why do we build walls? what is it to dwell? it is difficult to answer all the questions this project has proposed for me, but i think i’ll start by stating that we build to dwell, and our dwelling places become tangents and reflections of us once we engage in the act of dwelling.

i also definitely see this project expanding, so i’m not sure if a final book will be printed for a long while. this subject, the subject of trying to find what i like about houses and their structures and potentially “building” a house out of the pictures i accumulate over time is a subject i see myself working on for a long time, not just because of the possibilities it proposes, but also because i am continually interested in.

kp

hey guys, sorry i’ve been m.i.a. for the past few weeks; school is killing me. anyways, here’s my newest project.

i’ve been working on a project around bridgeport, a neighborhood off the orange line. for some reason i’m attached to this particular part of the area, and have been revisiting it (i’m at five visits now) to photograph the houses. this is the first draft of a book i’m compiling of some of the images. the title is i could be happy here.

hopefully, the final draft will be on sale via the website sometime early next year.

kp