Transparency Works
2008–

These works are produced by putting one E-6 (positive) and one C-41 (negative) sheet of 4x5 film through checked baggage during air travel. Each pair constitutes one round trip flight, and both sheets are exposed together through the duration of the trip. The film is packaged together while in transit (and thus while being exposed) producing similar but not identical compositions on each pair of film sheets. The color, banding, and tone are the result of the photographic film’s exposure to high-powered X-ray baggage scanners during air travel, and their specific characteristics are the result of the proximity and orientation to the X-ray emitter during security inspection, and the number of airports and security scans the baggage was subject to. The works are printed at 1:1 scale, presented chronologically and grouped by year. The number of works per year is governed by the number of trips the artist has undergone for professional purposes during that period.

Titling Convention:

The work is titled with the year of travel, followed by the type of 4x5 film, the brand, description, and emulsion number of the film, the dates traveled, and the airport codes traveled through for each transparency, which are organized chronologically in positive and negative pairs. The date attributed to the work is the year of its first exhibition, which is separate from the production date included in the work’s title. A final description of the work, for example one that would appear on a wall didactic in an exhibition space, might read:

Transparency, 2018 [Positive (Fujichrome RDPIII Provia 100F Em. No. 064–821) May 24–26, 2018 LAX/EWR EWR/LAX; Negative (Kodak Portra 400NC Em. No. 1101) May 24–26, 2018 LAX/EWR EWR/LAX; Positive (Fujichrome RDPIII Provia 100F Em. No. 064–821) September 9–October 17, 2018 LAX/LHR NAP/FRA/MRS MRS/AMS/LAX; Negative (Kodak Portra 400NC Em. No. 1101) September 9–October 17, 2018 LAX/LHR NAP/FRA/MRS MRS/AMS/LAX]
2019
Epson Ultrachrome K3 archival ink jet print on Hahnemühle FineArt Pearl Paper
11 x 14 inches each, 4 parts

Here annotated:
Transparency, 2018 [year of travel] [Positive [type of film] (Fujichrome RDPIII Provia 100F [brand name of film] Em. No. 064–821 [emulsion number of film]) May 24–26, 2018 [dates of travel, first trip] LAX/EWR EWR/LAX [airport codes traveled through, first trip]; Negative [type of film] (Kodak Portra 400NC [brand name of film] Em. No. 1101 [emulsion number of film]) May 24–26, 2018 [dates of travel, first trip] LAX/EWR EWR/LAX [airport codes traveled through, first trip]; Positive [type of film] (Fujichrome RDPIII Provia 100F [brand name of film] Em. No. 064–821 [emulsion number of film]) September 9–October 17, 2018 [dates of travel, second trip] LAX/LHR NAP/FRA/MRS MRS/AMS/LAX [airport codes traveled through, second trip]; Negative [type of film] (Kodak Portra 400NC [brand name of film] Em. No. 1101 [emulsion number of film]) September 9–October 17, 2018 [dates of travel, second trip] LAX/LHR NAP/FRA/MRS MRS/AMS/LAX [airport codes
traveled through, second trip]]
2019 [date of first exhibition]
Epson Ultrachrome K3 archival ink jet print on Hahnemühle FineArt Pearl Paper [media]
11 x 14 inches each, 4 parts [framed dimensions and number of prints]