Patric McCoy: Take My Picture
- Credits
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Bud Rodecker
Design Direction, DesignAlec Hudson
Design
Wrightwood 659 asked Span to design the catalog for Patric McCoy: Take My Picture, an exhibition of photographs documenting Black gay life in 1980s Chicago. Curated by Juarez Hawkins, the show featured more than 50 images McCoy took during a decade marked by joy, vulnerability, and loss during the AIDS crisis. His portraits, made at the subjects’ request, gave each person agency in how they were seen.
Bud Rodecker and Alec Hudson were tasked with creating a book that honored the emotional depth and visual power of McCoy’s work. We worked closely with the artist and the museum to develop a design that centered the images and guided the reader with thoughtful pacing.
The layout creates tension and connection between photos—juxtapositions that reflect the energy of the era and the humanity of the subjects. Section dividers use a frosted-glass effect to partially obscure an image, inviting curiosity. On the next page, the image is revealed in full.
The final catalog is both a record and a tribute. It invites reflection and extends the experience of the exhibition in a form meant to last.
