Laura Mackin
Davis
November 30, 2007 - January 5, 2008
giftshop project space is pleased to announce the opening of Davis. A solo exhibition showcasing c-prints, drawings, diagrams, and a limited edition book by Chicago's own Laura Mackin. Collecting, sorting, and archiving drive this exhibition of selected images downloaded from eBay. By compositing these images, Mackin gives the viewer a voyeuristic look into a stranger's personal space. Yet, Mackin also taps into the universal by presenting a captivating contemplation of everyday life. By drawing a generalization from particular images and experiences, Mackin’s work allows the viewer to thumb through a stranger’s personal history while thinking of their own.
Mackin has been archiving eBay photos since 2003. Yet, a seller known as Davis is the subject of this exhibition. Davis habitually photographs his items for sale via eBay propped against the same tree in his backyard. Through this archive of images Mackin shows various aspects of Davis' life, choices, and personal history. Because the majority of his photos are taken by displaying the object of sale (mirrors) against a fixed vantage point, the images begin to form a panoramic of Davis' surroundings. The viewer is invited to stroll through his well manicured yard, catch a glimpse of the corner of his home, and take stock of the vehicles pulled up in his driveway.
The most shocking revelation of the photos is the reflection of a backyard gravestone floating in the center of one of the mirrors for sale. This gravestone serves as an eeire quirk to an otherwise idyllic backdrop. Perhaps inherited with the property, or perhaps the resting place of a family member of whom it was difficult to let go, Davis reveals that there may be more to his carefully selected shrubbery than meets the eye.
Laura Mackin graduated with a BFA from MICA in 2003, and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2005. Before relocating to Chicago for graduate school, Mackin co-directed and co-curated H. Lewis Gallery, in Baltimore, MD. The H. Lewis Gallery was a collaborative curatorial effort which presented artistic exhibitions, musical performances, and a lecture program from a dedicated storefront space. In Chicago, Mackin has become an active member of the local arts scene, with recent solo shows at Three Seasons Gallery and the Contemporary Arts Workshop. Mackin also teaches at the School of the Art Institute, and North Central College, in Naperville.
November 30, 2007 - January 5, 2008
giftshop project space is pleased to announce the opening of Davis. A solo exhibition showcasing c-prints, drawings, diagrams, and a limited edition book by Chicago's own Laura Mackin. Collecting, sorting, and archiving drive this exhibition of selected images downloaded from eBay. By compositing these images, Mackin gives the viewer a voyeuristic look into a stranger's personal space. Yet, Mackin also taps into the universal by presenting a captivating contemplation of everyday life. By drawing a generalization from particular images and experiences, Mackin’s work allows the viewer to thumb through a stranger’s personal history while thinking of their own.
Mackin has been archiving eBay photos since 2003. Yet, a seller known as Davis is the subject of this exhibition. Davis habitually photographs his items for sale via eBay propped against the same tree in his backyard. Through this archive of images Mackin shows various aspects of Davis' life, choices, and personal history. Because the majority of his photos are taken by displaying the object of sale (mirrors) against a fixed vantage point, the images begin to form a panoramic of Davis' surroundings. The viewer is invited to stroll through his well manicured yard, catch a glimpse of the corner of his home, and take stock of the vehicles pulled up in his driveway.
The most shocking revelation of the photos is the reflection of a backyard gravestone floating in the center of one of the mirrors for sale. This gravestone serves as an eeire quirk to an otherwise idyllic backdrop. Perhaps inherited with the property, or perhaps the resting place of a family member of whom it was difficult to let go, Davis reveals that there may be more to his carefully selected shrubbery than meets the eye.
Laura Mackin graduated with a BFA from MICA in 2003, and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2005. Before relocating to Chicago for graduate school, Mackin co-directed and co-curated H. Lewis Gallery, in Baltimore, MD. The H. Lewis Gallery was a collaborative curatorial effort which presented artistic exhibitions, musical performances, and a lecture program from a dedicated storefront space. In Chicago, Mackin has become an active member of the local arts scene, with recent solo shows at Three Seasons Gallery and the Contemporary Arts Workshop. Mackin also teaches at the School of the Art Institute, and North Central College, in Naperville.
