I cannot tell you exactly why I still have my Junior Prom corsage stuffed away in a shoebox between old report cards and notes my best friend passed me in French class, but I do. I mean, I didn’t even like the guy and he cheaped out on the champagne. But throwing away the things feels too much like throwing away the memories. Which also explains why I’m already on shoebox number three for my year-old daughter. My nostalgic inclinations have finally been validated by the remarkable work of Michelle Caplan. An accomplished mixed media artist, Michelle takes all that stuff and puts it to good use–bringing a person’s photographic history to life in an exquisitely produced collage portrait.
Just send her a favorite photo along with the ephemera you’ve stashed away through the years: Newspaper clippings, cards, drawings, class assignments, baby footprints–you name it. She’ll transform it into a breathtaking visual legacy of your child or family.
Faux Warhol portraits, out. Real Caplan portraits, so very in. –Liz[via oh joy]