NOTES FROM THE PERIPHERY
(2000 — 2003)
Traveling to places linked by the Triangular Trade (thinking about Modernity)
3 sets of prints:
Homes in Nantes : 11 Gelatin Silver prints, each 14.5 x 18 inches.
Tourist in Senegal: 11 Gelatin Silver prints, each 13 x 17.5 inches.
Off Grid: Laventille : 11 Gelatin Silver prints, each 14.5 x 18 inches.
Edition of 5.
Modernity as a form of individual and social identity is linked here to the Triangular Trade, the progenitor of global commerce that flourished in the 17th and 18th century and brought some 12 million slaves to the New World. Notes from the Periphery presents three series of photographs, each done in a place linked to the Triangular Trade, and each focusing on an attribute of moderinty that relates to our modern conception of identity.
I: Homes in Nantes (detail)
With modernity one sees the rise of individual sensibility. One form of expression of personal identity is through the accumulation of objects—souvenirs and mementos— displayed in the home.
II: Tourist in Senegal (detail)
Traveling on the western coast of Africa. Reflecting on the role that photography has played in the promoting exploration, colonialization, and tourism.
III: Off Grid: Laventille (detail)
In the hills overlooking Port-of-Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, is the shantytown of Laventille, first populated by runaway slaves, and later by outlaws and squatters. In contrast to the grid of the colonial capital, Laventille's vernacular architecture retains a strong African character.
Installation view, Venice Biennial, 2003
Installation view, Venice Biennial, 2003
Installation view, Venice Biennial, 2003