Profile Pictures
The Roman scholar, Pliny the Elder, claimed that the origin of painting was when a Corinthian maiden traced the shadow of her sleeping lover on a wall before he left for a long journey that he might never return from. This memorial gesture in anticipation of loss is always present in photography. This project includes over 300 cyanotype silhouettes of Facebook profile pictures on cotton. Internet Profile Pictures exist as an assertion of identity and presence but easily disappear into the cacophony of digital images. The cyanotypes were exposed using sunlight which rendered the identifying text legible to varying degrees. Viewing the installation of the work involves a layered experience of shadow and reflection.
