‘To Be Kept (the book)’ by Lauren Simkin Berke
A monograph of paintings, collages and photographs by Lauren Simkin Berke, and the first title from Captain Sears Press.
I collect old photographs from flea markets, antique and junk shops, and draw from them. They are often family snapshots, from the 1920s through the 1970s, or studio portraits from the last quarter of the 19th century. I find it strange these documents are for sale as part of a consumer marketplace, instead of being in albums on bookshelves in the homes of the families of those in the photos. I find myself at the intersection between a fascinated voyeurism and a determination to know these documents as well as humanly possible in order to give them a new, longer life.
To Be Kept was an exhibit I had this past winter at Accola Griefen Gallery (NYC). It was my third solo show, and my first in a commercial gallery. To Be Kept (the book) started out as an extended catalog, but has turned into a full monograph that extends beyond the scope of the show. I’ve spent the better part of the last eight months putting the book together, and it’s now ready to go to press.
For more information about this project, visit the Kickstarter page at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/493251093/to-be-kept-the-book
