Between Presence and Absence
Between 18th September and 18th October 2010 as part of the Independents Liverpool Biennial Jason staged an installation of works titled ‘between Presence and Absence’ within the classical section of the furniture department at John Lewis, Liverpool One.
‘between Presence and Absence’
The resonance between the presence and absence of an object void of visible human involvement is what informs these works.
Presenting recognisable classical objects of westernised domestic living in an isolated environment can invoke a reactionary nostalgia around the object. The lack of a visible functional role within this environment allows for an investigation into the transient nature of the objects purpose, diminished use, growing out of and discarding until its presence is no longer required.
The size of the image is integral to the work’s narrative and in placing the finished pieces in everyday photographic household frames on surfaces within a Furniture Department store contributes to the heightened awareness of the subject matter. It allows for consideration in an environment where the public would emotionally and rationally engage with the type of object depicted.
Exhibiting the images outside of a clinical gallery environment avoids the informed subjectivity imposed by a gallery’s professional practice; by reference text and the politics of gallery engagement governed by a designated exhibition space. Instead, the work moves its theoretical horizon into the realm of human interaction and social context.
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