Artsy Fartsy Vibes - The Found Photo
big impact, feels fancy, won't bankrupt you, makes a good gift!
If you’re anything like me, you might spend an embarrassing amount of time on YouTube watching tours of celebrity homes and mentally doing the math of what everything inside must have cost. By now we’ve uncovered that most of those tours are little white lies, heavily rearranged and staged by prop stylists and conveniently aired weeks before a decent percentage end up on the market. It’s rare to see a home of a well known person that looks really lived in, and so rarely do they feel like they might reflect the lives, memories, and sentiments of the owner. Yet another thing on the internet that feels like a lie!!
As this year comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the idea of “goals” and “resolutions” as so many do when thinking of January’s quick approach. I’m not really one for resolutions, but I do find it’s nice to make a list of things, desires and habits I’d like to shift into or away from because reminding yourself that it’s never too late to change or learn is important!
One of those things is really focusing on making our space reflect who we are as people and the lives, memories and sentiments we hold near and dear to us. I’m tired of feeling pressured by perfectly curated social media to believe there’s some “completeness” that must come in making a house a home. I’ve said it before, but homes are living and breathing entities that aren’t meant to feel done and checked off the to do list!! I’m fatigued by the amount of full-gut-remodel reels, and gluttonous sponsored rooms of terribly made furniture that are meant to make us feel like our space isn’t enough.
In the spirit of making your space feel more personal and filled with the teeny tiny special things that breathe life into the imperfect nooks and crannies, I thought I would share some ideas I exercise when looking for one of the biggest little things that makes a house feel like a home — art.
Finding good art for your space is hard. I see so many folks on TikTok and Instagram flocking to people’s content begging for tips on where to get good pieces of art, where to have them framed, etc etc. There’s a lot of disappointment when the realization that relatively “good” art is on the pricier side and often time requires a lot of time, effort, and energy to procure, collect and display. BUT there are definitely ways to get creative in filling your walls with special things that reflect your life, interests and travels.
This week I’m focusing on the found photograph. Which could also make a great gift for someone you love this holiday season!
Let’s dive in.
Nothing feels more luxurious, sophisticated, and grand like the impact of large, framed photography. I immediately feel like I’m the VIP guest at my own personal art gallery, curating displays that let guests meditate and interpret the meanings and emotions of the photos arranged around my space.
I’ve always been a fan of photography that feels very candid and approachable, like the works of Martin Parr and William Eggleston. And while I have many coffee table books of their collections, exhibitions, and art, I, unfortunately, am not rolling in loads of extra cash to afford any of their original prints. Which leads me to the next best thing — estate sale photos.
So often I find piles and piles and stacks and stacks of old photos and slides abandoned for various reasons and destined to a life in an antique mall or vintage shop. I can easily spend hours and hours sifting through old pictures and holding up Kodachrome slides to the light, wondering about the people staring back at me, feeling bittersweet about the fragility of humanity and time passing.
Over the years I’ve collected quite a few photos of people I’ve never met that feel strangely like a quirky little thrifted family. And recently, I’ve thought about how fun it would be to blow these photos up and frame them like fine art.
And before we go much further, I am certainly not the only person with this idea! The Anonymous Project has an amazing collection of found photography that you can buy prints and coffee table books from as well as The Museum of Lost Memories which aims to preserve and return memories back to families who have lost home videos and photographs.
But for me, most of the fun comes from digging through stacks at flea markets and estate sales and finding the images that speak to me the most.
I mentioned this before, but I am a person that believes photos hold some amount of juju, so I’m very picky on the scenes, emotions, and faces I feel would be supportive of having a new life in my home. I focus on joy and laughter, and often love photos where no ones faces can be seen. You be the judge on what feels good! I have a few I’m considering cropping faces out of or getting creative where they can feel celebrated but remain anonymous.
And if you’re like, heck no, no strangers will be on my walls!! — dive deep into some family photo albums. A few months ago I dug up one of my favorite photos of my mom and took it to a local photography shop where they scanned it at a high resolution, blew it up and printed it on archival photo paper all for about $35. I was inspired to finally go for it after I watched this tour of Kacey Musgrave’s home where she framed a candid photo of her mother. Great minds!!!
I also had these original photos of Mike’s parents in the Netherlands blown up and I’m hoping to get them framed sometime this next year because they just look so freaking cool. And while framing can be pricey, having these scanned, color corrected, and printed only cost about $40-50 which isn’t too bad for being on the larger side (they’re about 16x24.)
I’ve scoured a decent amount of the depths of Etsy and eBay and dug up some cool found photos that I think would make cool art for your space! Buy them! Frame them as is, or have them blown up! Many craft stores offer custom framing and often have good coupons (I’d personally avoid H*bby L*bby though, because they are truly evil and creepy) or look up a local frame shop and support a small business! Often times you can bring in a thrifted frame and they’ll cut a mat for you at a lower cost!
Here are some strangers looking for a new place to call home.
Cheer Team Dance Squad Girls - The colors and tones and coolness! They are meant to be framed in an entryway over a console table or in a moody listening room above a record player.
Getting Glamorous - She is the moment! This would be breathtaking blown up over a bath tub or in a guest bath! I love everything about this photo and the composition.
Motorcycle Joy Ride - The motion blur on this could not feel more romantic/nostalgic/cinematic!
School Dance - The composition of this photo feels so purposeful. Blown up and framed in a hallway, this is something people will stare at and take in for hours.
XOXO Gossip Gals - Who are they?! What are they toasting to? I want them framed over a dining nook to gossip with at the dinner table.
Let me know if this has inspired you to dig around through old photos or buy one for yourself or a loved one this holiday season. If you buy one, tag me, email me, show me! I want to see! #trashpanictreasure
Until then,
xo,
G