This project asked me to create a publication exploring sense of place within a suburb in greater Melbourne, which in my case was Preston. I had to consider Preston as a geographic location made up of a natural and built up environments, but also as a unique feeling developed by the cultural practices and background of the place and the people presiding within it. 

As part of an immersive research phase, I made observations through photography, sketching, and videography of the suburb. I also collected mementos and objects representive of my sensorial experience there. I then collated and reflected upon this research, developing my experiences there into an encompassing theme or personal takeaway that would form the messaging of my publication.

I spent time in Preston Market and its surrounding streets, and also walked around looking at architectural styles and housing. I was enamoured by the amount of retro and midcentury buildings, storefronts, and design. It felt like the suburb was actively resisting contemporary lifestyles and design, instead resiliently focussed on tradition, community and style. I was enamoured by this visual language, and the feeling of being in a time-capsule of what the northern parts of Melbourne used to be. 

Another requirement of this publication is that it would roughly follow the narrative or meaning of an existing fairytale. I selected the storyline of “Sleeping Beauty”, and constructed my observations and feelings into a narrative that was seperated into sections loosely representing “beginning”, “sleeping”, and “awakening/change”.

So, this 32-page publication explores Preston through a feeling I describe as cultural memory; a collective nod towards a shared past that is embodied through the aesthetic and atmosphere of Preston. I used grainy photography, stylised gradient map effects and typography to highlight the lingering sense of history and nostalgia, like a collection of film stills from 50 years ago that are blurred and damaged but evoke a charming reference to the past.

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