Slide Trays

The slide trays that are featured in this series were photographed in slide libraries that were in the process of being dismantled. As these collections were being replaced by digital archives, they had not been updated or even maintained in a long time. The slides thus become markers of evolving times; their labeling and classification point to changes in our language usage, global awareness, cultural understanding, and also to shifts in world geographies and politics. The system of classification also underscores an emphasis on Western content and European colonial history – a single tray of slides may contain up to six non-Western countries, whereas a white male artist may be represented by up to six trays of slides. For an art biennale in Tenerife, Spain, I focused my attention on a single art history slide collection. For this exhibition, I mounted a 12 foot x 50 foot montage of every slide tray that contained slides from Italy. This mural was juxtaposed with seven slide trays that contained slides from Spain (two were entirely devoted to Picasso), and a single slide tray, containing less than a dozen slides, labeled Africa/Ceylon. These works were installed in the Santa Cruz library, near book stacks that are largely ignored by visitors, as most visitors choose to work on their laptops.

See Prefix Photo 35. Nation States, Spring/Summer 2017: http://www.prefix.ca/magazine/

Fotonoviembre installation shot copy
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Italy 1 – 74, Inkjet on Vinyl, 2017
114.2″ x 598″ (290 cm x 1519 cm)
Every tray containing slides from Italy, shot from a bird’s eye view
Installed in the Santa Cruz library in Tenerife, Spain
Commissioned for Fotonoviembre 2017

Dobson_10
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Italy 1 – 74. Detailsl-01-bg newAfrica Ceylon
Digital C-print, 2016
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

Eskimo Missionary newEskimo Canadian Missionary Literature
Digital C-print, 2016
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

us architecture 75 newUS Architecture 75 Orwell–Washington, D.C
Digital C-print, 2016
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

SL-04-bgUnited States 61 Smith–Spence
Digital C-print, 2016
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

North American Indian 2 newNorth American Indian 2
Digital C-print, 2016
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

Mexico Manuscripts newMexico Manuscripts
 Digital C-print, 2016
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

SL-07-bgEgypt Iran Iraq Israel Italy
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

SL-08-bgEskimo 2 Indian SW California
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

SL-09-bgLibya Tunisia USSR
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

SL-10-bgSpain Ribera–Velazquez
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

TextilesTextiles
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

SL-12-bgUnited States 66 Twombly–Warhol
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

SL-13-bgUnited States 70 Wright–Wright
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

SL-14-bgUnlabeled
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

SL-16-bgUS Architecture 74 Las Vegas–Orwell
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

SL-17-bgSpain El Greco–Millares
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

Canada 32 copyCanada 32
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

SL-19-bgAustria 3 Schiele–Z
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

afghanistan-austriaAfghanistan – Austria
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

Alavi daliAlavi – Dali
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

India Iraq IsraelIndia Iraq Israel Afghanistan Pakistan Cambodia Indonesia
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

Islamic Maps EgyptIslamic Maps Egypt
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

Japan korea tibetJapan Korea Tibet
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

picasso-to-picasso-iPicasso – Picasso
Digital C-print, 2017
20” x 23” (51 cm x 58 cm)

 

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