Inspired by my parent’s nearly 40 year old box of relationship keepsakes, I decided to frame my thesis project around the archeological process of discovery and interpretation. My thesis, Saved, is broken up into six smaller case studies that collectively investigate communication and expression, utilizing forms frequently found within my parent’s collection. 

In each section, click the arrow buttons at the sides of the images to view more.

In order to sort my parents voices into a digestable, physical format, I had them hand write transcribed parts of my interview about their relationship to use in my postcard project (below).

Interview documented in the form of postcards, echoing a form of communication from my parent’s early relationship. I also created stamps using items and photographs of drawings included in my parent’s collection.

Accordion book documenting items in my parent’s collection. The form of the book responds to the shape of the box that holds much of their mail correspondence. The book is separated by a smaller section that follows the form of a late pass that my mother kept. Photos on the left side of the book are from earlier in their relationship, while the right is from later on.

Interview recorded of my parents separately going through some of the items in their collection. This allowed me to compare their memories of the items. The recorded interview was stored on a flash drive in order for the digital interaction to occupy a physical space within my thesis collection. To go with the interview, I created a pamphlet that displays photos of the items my parents discuss in the video.

Comparing my parents' relationship archive to contemporary forms of communication. An interview with my parents is contrasted with images, screen shots, and photos linking to my present day relationship.

Box that contains my thesis, case studies, stickers, and a printed note to the viewer. The box is meant to be an archival expereince, encountered by someone who may not be familiar with the subjects it studies. Staying true to the way I parsed though my parent’s mementos and letters, I packaging my themed projects into a container that can be handled and interacted with in a similar manner to way I was able to explore my parent’s collection of items.