Starting to see links in eachother's work

Hi Jenny, I was just thinking you mentioned in task 8 that your interest in Digital Communication actually developed from a preoccupation in written communication. This is something that I am always referring to with my work. I have always been interested in the archive, found object, or found body of text - I like to read something from one context and give it a new relationship / context in my work. For example a lot of my degree show work was conceptually inspired by a piece of text I read in an old book at my Dad's auction house (he sells lots of books and general philatelic material) It was an old science book which talked about the concept of 'string theory'. Someone had mentioned in a previous art crit that my work often looked to find connections between two objects or figures, giving the empty space in an image importance, linking the two somehow. String theory as both an idea and as a title then had a huge impact on my general practice.

In terms of more direct inspiration most of my familiar series work was born out of an initial visit to an house, where the old couple had passed away and the new owner had let me go inside to have a look. Everything was untouched from around the 1970's era - the decor, fabrics, everything was amazing. I found an image of a young man alongside a letter, which seemed to be a love letter. I wasn't sure if the letter connected to the man in the photograph, but it started an imaginary life for this man in my head, which I still think about today. It was the most important letter I have ever come across - I still have the photo of the man but I left the love letter in the draw where I found it, it seemed wrong to remove it.

When you move to the North West I will take you along to my dad's auction house - I have a feeling that you could spend an entire day looking through his written materials/ book collections. It is a world of stories, information and ideas, sold on either because they are unwanted by their owners or because they are deemed to be worth considerable value.

 George at Trafford Books