Blog Archive

Monday, December 8, 2014

"nam man"



'nam/man" is one of the  little books of travel collaged images I made on trains and hotel rooms while on holiday in Vietnam recently. I made several blank books before leaving home and worked on pages every day, often finishing the images back at home. I like the way the title is the word for man in Vietnamese but in reverse it becomes the english word for the same thing. I used my favourite Kraft paper again as my main paper for this book but also made books of rice paper.














The personal images and words were triggered by this trip but are not necessarily in sequence or realistic. They are based on the process of memory and link in unpredictable ways, sometimes even with other trips or memories ofthings from years ago. 
Therefore it is not the meaning you will need to look for (that's only relevant to myself, but I hope you can still enjoy the composition and play of the component bits.




















The collaged bits include airline tickets, laundry bills, hotels letterheads and any paper becomes grist for the mill. The photo film type bits were made at home and refer to war althought he photos are not from the Vietnamese war. Design elements come from airports  and mapping symbols.























The images are meant to give a feeling of bustling towns and cities, traffic, a sense of people constantly  moving and the excitement of being in strange surroundings. 

4 comments:

Helen M said...

This is a wonderful little book Jack. I like the movement and hustle and bustle which is also the way your memories present themselves.

Jacobus (Jack) Oudyn said...

Thanks Helen, it's funny how memory plays tricks with time.

Velma Bolyard said...

nicely done travel journal, jack.

Jacobus (Jack) Oudyn said...

Yes it is one of my memory triggers