Book Design · Multimedia collage · Case Study · Senior Thesis
Visualizing the intersectional relationship between the collector and their collection allows for intimate stories to be told, and offers a space for human connection for those willing to listen.
Collecting, a practice spanning centuries, defies a singular definition, with various interpretations emphasizing tension and release, the gathering of related items, or organized obsession. Motivations range from preserving history and financial investment to seeking intellectual validation or creating a lasting legacy. Whether driven by the thrill of acquisition or the desire for immortality through a museum collection, collectors are drawn by a myriad of incentives.
During my personal research stage of my thesis, I was guided by three questionsI turned to real collectors to answer my questions. I interviewed them asking them about what they collect, what motivates them, what their collecting habits are, how they personally identify themselves, and how they identify outside of being a collector, among other questions. I was able to learn more about the person, and see how the intricacies of their personality trickled into their collections, sometimes unknowingly.Select quotes were used to paint a better picture of the essence of these collectors. And these stories served as the foundation of my thesis, both for the physical collage objects I created and for the stories I wrote and visualized within the companion book.
Going through this process was not free of its fair share of challenges and I used critical feedback received during sessions with my advisors, which helped to refine and validate the direction of my project. One challenge was figuring out the best way to display my collages, which was inspired by the concept of the wunderkammer, or “Cabinet of Curiosity! From my first ideation of a suitcase with compartments, to a cabinet of drawers, to a display shelf, and finally display-case esque cubbies, I struggled with how to balance the feeling of a collection, reveal, discovery, and display. I compromised the loss of reveal and discovery that the drawers allowed for in favor of the clear acrylic cubbies that are more accessible for people to take the collages out of as well as having a stronger connotation of display, reminiscent of museum display cases.
Each object was designed by understanding the story of each collector, and crafted into a physical representation of their story. Each collage is highly unique and contains many facets of the collector’s relationship with their collection.
To aid in a viewer’s comprehension of each collector’s story, the companion book expands on their stories, my research, and my own conclusion through a visual language designed to emphasize the personal and meaningful nature of the collector’s relationship to their collection.
Book Design · Multimedia collage · Case Study · Senior Thesis
Visualizing the intersectional relationship between the collector and their collection allows for intimate stories to be told, and offers a space for human connection for those willing to listen.
Collecting, a practice spanning centuries, defies a singular definition, with various interpretations emphasizing tension and release, the gathering of related items, or organized obsession. Motivations range from preserving history and financial investment to seeking intellectual validation or creating a lasting legacy. Whether driven by the thrill of acquisition or the desire for immortality through a museum collection, collectors are drawn by a myriad of incentives.
During my personal research stage of my thesis, I was guided by three questionsI turned to real collectors to answer my questions. I interviewed them asking them about what they collect, what motivates them, what their collecting habits are, how they personally identify themselves, and how they identify outside of being a collector, among other questions. I was able to learn more about the person, and see how the intricacies of their personality trickled into their collections, sometimes unknowingly.Select quotes were used to paint a better picture of the essence of these collectors. And these stories served as the foundation of my thesis, both for the physical collage objects I created and for the stories I wrote and visualized within the companion book.
Going through this process was not free of its fair share of challenges and I used critical feedback received during sessions with my advisors, which helped to refine and validate the direction of my project. One challenge was figuring out the best way to display my collages, which was inspired by the concept of the wunderkammer, or “Cabinet of Curiosity" From my first ideation of a suitcase with compartments, to a cabinet of drawers, to a display shelf, and finally display-case esque cubbies, I struggled with how to balance the feeling of a collection, reveal, discovery, and display. I compromised the loss of reveal and discovery that the drawers allowed for in favor of the clear acrylic cubbies that are more accessible for people to take the collages out of as well as having a stronger connotation of display, reminiscent of museum display cases.
Each object was designed by understanding the story of each collector, and crafted into a physical representation of their story. Each collage is highly unique and contains many facets of the collector’s relationship with their collection.
To aid in a viewer’s comprehension of each collector’s story, the companion book expands on their stories, my research, and my own conclusion through a visual language designed to emphasize the personal and meaningful nature of the collector’s relationship to their collection.
