Creative: Photo Chicago IV +

One of the great things about working at Blurb is I get to work with this guy named Kent. Kent and I have traveled near and far, and trust me when I tell you we’ve seen our fair share of odd moments. He’s a analog man, shoots copious amounts of Polaroid/Impossible and is prone to carry small, strange cameras which he uses to make small, strange things. Kent is an artist masquerading as a normal person.

As you might expect he’s also prone to putting his work in print. He’s a tester. Perhaps not as testy as me, but he prints then reworks and prints again. And again if need be. Several years ago he did a book titled “Photo Chicago,” which has become legendary in certain circles. Then he created a second version. Being a photographer and collector, and returner to places like Chicago, he eventually created a third version of the book which might be a magazine……

And then last week I get this little beauty in the mail. Photo Chicago IV. No it’s not a Blurb publication like the first three. This one is handmade. Hand printed. Hand crafted and even includes a strip of 35mm film and a Polaroid. It’s well done. After you consume something like this, run your hands over it, unfold it, fold it up again then stare at the contents it transforms into a jealousy piece. You think “Damn, why didn’t I make something like this?” And then you remember that this is what Kent is for. This baby is an edition of one. An art book.

And then I go to the Blurb office. On my desk sits…well, you might call it Photo Chicago V, but it’s really the print-on-demand version of the Photo Chicago IV. Magcloud Digest. Portrait format. I have to say, I really like this version. The images of the book itself are well done, meaning lit and photographed correctly, not like I do mine with a mobile phone. This makes a huge difference in how the pages pop off the paper. I like the fact he took the time to record the edition of one. Never know what will happen to it at my house…..
There are many lessons to be learned here. Make good work. Print it. Print it again. Experiment and refine. Send it to someone who will appreciate it. Go out and do it again. Thanks Kent.