Text experimentations- Step on a crack break your mothers back

Obviously the first place to start would be the application of the actual supersition either under the grid images or on the page next to the image, such as the image on the right hand page and the text on the left. However i dont want to be obvious with the text, i dont want to state the exact superstition i want the words to play with the images to create the superstition. I could play with the idea of repetition with a single word repeated over and over underneith each photograph. But the idea would be what word would be repeated? Or maybe i could make use of the idea of a book and have the corrispoding text on the opposite side, like stated before, but being more playful with the use of text. Below are a few mock ups that i have created to give the impression of the look i could achieve with different techniques and maybe even different ideas of what to play with with the text and how it corrisponds with the images. 

Firstly i did mock up what it would look like in the book with the basic 3x3 grid and the incorperation of the superstition itself. While i am unsure of what size grids im going to do for my final piece, i do like the look of the 3x3 grid and as they do say things are more astetically pleasing in groups of odd numbers, so it would be between 3x3 or 5x5. The text looks great with the choice of a simple black font but i am sure now that the obvious writing of the superstition of itself is not what i want to include in this book. As my main influence is Sophie Calle's book exsquite pain, looking back, none of the words are that obvious what they are in relation too, except for the peice of text at the start of the book to which explains the project, or the project statement in the book. What i need to think about next is what i could put in place of the basic text that ive used here?

Here, i used the basicly same format as the image above, a simple contrasting text, the only difference is the quotation n text used. Here i just made up a saying about everything being in walking distance, while i am normally rather good at coming up with random little sayings that would be perfect for encorperating maybe with other superstitions, here i just drew a blank without being obvious to the images or the superstition itself. Maybe this is a look i could encorperate into a later or alternative superstion. Alternatively i could look at using famous quotations that may fit, which would relate to my very original idea of using the writings of Edgar Allen poe in my work?

This layout, of using text in the imagery grid itself, is another way of encorperating text with the images, both with its good points and its bad. What i do like about the image as the use of text itself. the idea of using the 'step' repetitavly, and the way it allows me to point out the ideal that someone is stepping on a crack on the ground which adds a link back to the original superstition which i love. The downside to this is that i feel it makes the image look messy. It distracts the audience eye away from the images themselves and takes them to the text and the gaps inbetween the images.  It also doesnt look right with the breaks and the images without anyone in them.

 

This layout almost seems like a hybrid of the two layout/text ideas ive had so far, and actually it is my fave BY FAR. it allows for the text to be kept separate from the images while still allowing the connection to be made between the two. The mass repetition of the word 'Step' reinforces the use of the grid and maximises the feel of the size and imact that i was trying to portray to not only suggest at what a big influence superstitions used to be but also to show the easiness of stepping on cracks in modern society when the ground is pretty deshevelled. I like the change in the last word which brings a new dimention and would draw the audiences eye to the flooring and the exchange between the images where people are stepping on the cracks and those at which arnt (the empty images.) Also it is very structured and well constructed to the size of the corisponding grid to allow the square boundries of the images to be mirrored in the text formatting. The only query i would have would be that if i wanted to encorperate more then one grid, i would not want to use this on every double page. However i could use one 'square' of text at the start, and one at the ending of the selection of grids, but im sure the logistics could be worked out once the structure of my book is taking strenghth.  

while i know most of these images focus on people stepping on the crack between two bricks, or slabs. however i think the structure of these images fit better with the more highend market idea then that which has a more grimey feel such as those with the broken and disheveled pavement.