THE MAKING OF ON THE OUTSIDE

"I'VE BEEN SHOOTING PHOTOS SINCE 1957 FOR NEWSPAPERS, BUSINESSES, AD AGENCIES AND THE LIKE", SAID CHUCK WYROSTOK.

"MOST DON'T LEAVE LASTING MEMORIES."

THE INDELIBLE ONES QUICKLY COME TO MIND: THE HARLEM RIOTS IN 1964, JFK'S FUNERAL, THE QUILTERS AT CABIN CREEK."

"AND NOW, MOST RECENTLY, THE 'ON THE OUTSIDE PEOPLE', EACH PERSON'S DISTINCT HISTORY, PERSONALITY, AND DISABILITY MADE EACH PHOTO SESSION UNPREDICTABLE AND SURPRISING.

"IT WAS LIKE LOOKING IN TO THE LIVES OF REFUGEES."

THEY WERE SETTLING IN NEW UNFAMILAR TERRITORY EQUIPPED WITH MORE AUTONOMY AND OPPORTUNITY."

"THE SIMPLEST PLEASURES - MAKING A MEAL, MAKING FRIENDS IN THE COMMUNITY - WERE TESTED BY SOME FOR THE FIRST TIME."

WYROSTOK'S PHOTOS ILLUSTRATED THE BOOK AND WERE USED TO CREATE A PHOTO EXHIBIT AND SLIDE SHOW.

THE FULL EXHIBIT IS 12 BLACK-AND-WHITE PHOTOS APPROXIMATELY 2 FEET BY 3 FEET, ACCOMPANED BY SMALLER PANELS; ABOUT 1 FOOT SQUARE WITH EXCERPTS FROM EACH PERSON'S STORY.

A 30-MINUTE SLIDE SHOW, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS SEVERAL OF THE STORIES, IS DESIGNED TO STIMULATE DISCUSSION.

"MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO HEAR OR READ THE STORIES WANT TO TALK ABOUT THEM," SAYS PROJECT DIRECTOR JULIE PRATT.

"THE SLIDE SHOW IS ALWAYS FOLLOWED BY A CONVERSATION WITH THE AUDIENCE.

WHAT DID THEY THINK AND FEEL ABOUT THE STORIES?

WHAT CAN THEY DO TO HELP IMPROVE PEOPLE'S LIVES ON THE OUTSIDE."

A UNIFYING DESIGN

GRAPHIC ARTIST NANCY BARLOW DESCRIBED HER STRIKING BLACK-AND-WHITE DESIGN THAT WAS USED THROUGHOUT ALL COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT:

"IN MY MIND, I SAW THE PEOPLE, MANY OF WHOM HAD BEEN INSTITUTIONALIZED AS CHILDREN, AS ALWAYS LOOKING AT THEIR MIGHT-HAVE-BEEN LIVES."

"THE IMAGE THAT KEPT COMING TO ME WAS ONE OF A CHILD WITH FACE PRESSED AGAINST A WINDOW, DESPERATELY LONGING TO BE ON THE OTHER SIDE."

THAT WINDOW DEFINED THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF THE PROJECT FOR ME AND I WANTED TO USE IT IN THE GRAPHIC IDENTITY.

I STARTED WITH THE BOOK COVER, WORKING FIRST WITH A VERY REPRESENTATIONAL WINDOW IMAGE.

IT GRADUALLY BECAME MORE AND MORE ABSTRACT, UNTIL IT REACHED WHAT WE ALL AGREED WAS AN APPROPRIATE LOGO FOR THE PROJECT.

"THEREAFTER I STRETCHED IT AND SHRANK IT, FOUND DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF WORDS TO MAKE THE 'WINDOW FRAME' (WHICH PERHAPS, ONLY I COULD SEE BY THEN) AND TURNED IT INTO A FLYER, A TICKET, A NEWSPAPER AD, A PLAY PROGRAM, A POSTCARD, A CERTIFICATE AND OF COURSE A BOOK COVER."

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