12 SUBJECTS - Group Search, September 2006 to August 2007
Vancouver Public Library, at the landing on level 5
Displays, created by library staff and community groups, can be found throughout the many areas
of the library, drawing attention to national days of remembrance, seasonal holidays, and topics of
interest to library users, and highlighting different books and resources. Often found on the escala-
tor landings, framed by the Copier room wall, these displays use familiar materials and presentation
techniques to animate the space of the library.
Jillian Pritchard and Dan Starling are intrigued by these rotating displays, which might be seen as
'exhibitions from the collection'. The 'curator' of the display chooses works from the VPL holdings,
and places them together with lettering, fabric, paper and other materials to lend an interpretation
to the published works. Distinguished by their accessible, clear communication, and economy of
means, the displays employ the language of art—colour, texture, shape and form—to catch the eye
of the library patron.
The artists have replicated, within their studio, the red wall of the photocopy room and the sur-
rounding area. Having constructed a set, they will create twelve displays of their own, and photo-
graph them using a standard camera distance. The large-scale photographs are then installed on the
red wall in the library, rotating monthly for one year. Twelve Subjects uses the language and materials
of display-making to tackle subjects of concern to artists, such as accessibility and meaning, the rela-
tionship of form to content, and other issues artists face as they set out to communicate with an audi-
ence. Presenting a photograph of the display, rather than their display itself, introduces a critical distance
from the objects and materials documented, frames the work as 'art', and provides a humorous take
on the role of the artist in contemporary culture.
- Lorna Brown, curator
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| September (Revisionism) | October (2+2=5) | November (Absurdism) | December (The Double) | January (Survivalism) | February (Right To Die) | March (Black Light) | April (The Encyclopedia) | May (Living Language) | June (Culture Clash) | July (The Hole) | August (An Elaborate Hoax) |