2. Context
3. Projection
2024
ENGLAND < > BEYOND
Amid prevalent social and physical isolation, memories of commensality tap into our fundamental sense of being human, prompting us to rediscover the importance of physical presence in communication. Presenting a collection of oral histories recorded and translated through iterative methods, underpinned by a co-creative process between designer and narrators.
Context
Considering the idea of design as facilitation has been at the heart of the process. As I ran multiple collaborative experiments around recording and translating oral histories of commensality, my audience and their input, such as drawings, writings and ideas became embedded in the book itself, creating a collection of fragments or inserts which are present throughout the book.
Inspired by Daido Moriyama’s approach to image curation and cohesion through treatment, I use my own photo library (21,000+ images) as a starting point for visually interpreting fragments of collected memories.This approach, paired with the study of the physical and aesthetic qualities of traditional recipe books, form the vocabulary of this body of work.
Projection
Commensality, with its intricate nuances, has both been used to unite and isolated people groups throughout history. This dual nature adds depth and significance to the subject, one that’s deeply ingrained in our memories.
I propose that, amid this duality, graphic communication design can emerge as a crucial connector of diverse steams, perspectives and ideas—a node where fragments find context and storytelling unfolds. By using the traditional format of the recipe book the project aims to engage in a dialogue between form and content in a nuanced and material way.
Bibliography
Daido Moriyama: A Retrospective. 2024. The Photographers Gallery London. Exhibition (viewed January 29, 2024) Díaz, R.J. (2018)
Jönsson, H., Michaud, M. and Neuman, N. (2021) ‘What is commensality? A critical discussion of an expanding research field’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(12), p. 6235. doi:10.3390/ ijerph18126235.
Marinetti, F.T., Brill, S. and Chamberlain, L. (2014) The Futurist Cookbook. London: Penguin books.
Martens, K., Elliman, P. and Kuitenbrouwer, C. (2004) ‘The world is a printing surface’, in Karel Martens Counterprint. London, England: Hyphen Press.
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Vallejo, I. and Whittle, C. (2023) Papyrus: The invention of Bibliography books in the ancient world. London: Hodder.
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Ying, C. (2018) You and I eat the same: On the countless ways food and cooking connect us to one another. New York, NY: Artisan, a division of Workman Publishing Co., Inc.