For almost two years we worked on producing the limited edition book, The Present History, which included the contributions of over 25 artists & musicians and includes a cd soundtrack. Paul and I used digital collage techniques to create 34 panoramic images using our own photographs, textures, text & drawings, images from old books found in op shops & tip shops and the work of our collaborators. The book was intended to be a visual telling of an Australian story that considered our past, present & futures in the context of natural cycles of growth and decay.
The soundtrack was developed in tandem with the images by Tarquin Manek and Sam Karmel and is meant to roughly follow a slow and engaged viewing of the book.
The book was launched with exhibitions at The Front Gallery in Canberra and Brunswick Bound in Melbourne and won a Desktop Create Award for best Print Creative in 2007.
Some of the artists who contributed to the book include Emily Penso, Anthony Lister, Surya Bajracharya, Ian Francis, Amber Wallis, Stephanie Hicks and Tom Civil.
