Kimono Package Montage #7

I have an 1828 wrapper for a kimono that is gloriously soft and weathered and yet sturdy. I have photographed various bits and pieces of the wrapper and then have combined those bits and pieces to create a variety of photomontages, montages that are slightly different, yet honor the spirit of the object. It's made of old, used boro paper, multiple layers pasted together so that it's thick and very soft.

I'm reveling in what this kimono wrapping paper is offering, and I hope you enjoy seeing my interpretations of it.

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

What I'm working on . . . KIMONO WRAPPER

I have an 1828 wrapper for a kimono that is gloriously soft and weathered and yet sturdy.

I have photographed various bits and pieces of the wrapper and then have combined those bits and pieces to create a variety of photomontages, montages that are slightly different, yet honor the spirit of the object.

The wrapper is made of old, used boro paper, multiple layers pasted together so that it's thick and very soft. I'm reveling in what this kimono wrapping paper is offering, and I hope you enjoy seeing my interpretations of it.


All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

Latest work: "Kimono Package #5"

I seem to be going through a "stripes" phase lately, which is good. Better to have something solid to fall back on than nothing.

Anyway, I'm continuing to work on photos I've taken of a paper packet, an antique I got that was used to package a kimono. It unfolds four ways, giving me so many ways of shooting it.

In this case, I combined two of the photos and then added "stripes" from a variety of other photos I've taken of the same subject.

I'm going to continue working along this same theme for the rest of the year, in between other projects.

NOTE: Carol F. and Ann L.: I've made a rough draft of the first page of my Kyoto book and immediately see that I need to prep my photos specifically for this project. The picture I'm working on is of the Maiko, remember her? My picture is going to be stained, so I have to make sure that her face comes gleaming through and doesn't look dull, as it does right now. Am hoping I have something to show here this week.

And now we are off for a little drive up toward the Canadian border where there's a Japanese washi paper store I just found out about. Woo hoo!

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

What I'm working on . . . "Kimono Package"

I stumbled upon, online, a "kimono package" for sale. It's a large, padded, multilayered, old, soft, weathered, hand-made packet that, when opened, would contain a Japanese kimono.

And I'm slowly, slowly photographing bits and pieces of it to use in photomontages.

These are examples of what I've made so far, and I haven't even begun to photograph the interior.

I have similar yet very different old Japanese papers from a roll that Kathleen Amt so generously gave to me. That, too, is its own project.

And eventually, the two will merge, creating a third series of images.

For me, the key is slowness. I am giddy about all three projects. Giddiness comes with a price, however, and it would be easy to quickly burn out, and/or become overwhelmed.

Slowness is the watchword for these projects. Difficult to accomplish when one's feeling like a nine-year-old on Christmas Eve . . .

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.