Blooming Babel

About this project

About this project:

Blooming Babel is a book (and blog) inspired by French romans-photos and Mexican and Italian fotonovelas (photo novels), and by a New Yorker article that extols the benefits of talking to very young children. Blooming Babel tells the story of a set of family interactions. Using texts, photographs, and other graphics, it looks at the power and identity systems within the family, and in the greater social context. But the project is also a tool to critically take apart ("unpack" & "deconstruct") social bias and the hegemony underlying media.

The plot is this: A woman known as "Sierra's mom," learns that children develop more language skills and higher IQs if their parents engaged them in conversation (even if unidirectional when the kids are pre-verbal) from the time they were born (there is really data that indicates this--but how good is that data?).The woman's adult daughter, Sierra, has a baby, and Sierra's mom worries that Sierra may not be talking to the baby enough. Sierra's mom is hesitant to approach Sierra about this because Sierra is very defensive about her parenting skills, especially when her mother tries to help. However, Sierra's mother feels that Sierra's husband, Joby is more approachable and hopes to get him on board with talking to the baby, even though he is from a different background. What kind of background will not be indicated. At some point, Sierra's mother begins to question her values and role in society. Fashion is always present.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Meet Katrin - Brandy's neighbor

Katrin Gonzales is Brandy's neighbor. She is an attorney. Brandy snags her to have a look at the new kitchen (and give some legal advice on dealing with the Designer. Brandy had no case but pushes anyway)

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Brandy's Kitchen Conundrum.

Designer Annabella Dimetriosis, who designed the kitchen.

Jake Hansen, the installer.

Brandy does not like the new kitchen.

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Burgers for the Burghers

Frieze layout for Brandy Bobeche's kitchen

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Good Federina

An icky pavilion in a weird garden has appeared on the lanai of Brandy Bobeche's home. Federina, the alter ego of Brandy's interior designer Alphonso Ronell, has appeared to rescue Brandy's infant grandchild.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Federina Rescues The Baby from the Icky Pavilion

In the Weird Garden, which ahs manifested on Brandy's lanai downtown--just as she is about to pick up her new custom designed vase by Alphonso Ronell and Dick Ramsey...

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

The Vase

Brandy Bobeche saw a vase that she absolutely adored in Architectural Digest. She asked her interior designer to help her find one for the lanai. The designer found the artist who creates the vases and urged Brandy to have the artist custom paint it with this year's Pantone colors.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Process photo for "emblem" drawing

I take photos of various things do I can draw them. In this case, it's a scissor-wielding hand. Below it is the drawing in progress.