Text on Stills

In Stills 64 portraits hang on a single square wall. A pile of portraits is left on the floor in order to show the replaceability of the individual. It doesn’t matter who gets thrown on the pile and who gets framed on the wall. Viewing the 76 portraits from a distance the viewer gets the impression that they all look alike. The closer the viewer gets to the portraits the more he/she realizes the subtle though obvious differences. The vulnerability of the human being and the coexisting menace inherent in this mass of portraits is another aspect I like to communicate with this project. Looking at a single portrait you see a vulnerable individual who looks straight into your eyes. From the distance the faces create a threatening atmosphere. The only source of light for the portraits was a fluorescent bulb hanging at eye level just above the camera. You recognize the bulb’s light as a little stripe in the eyes of the photographed people. The same fluorescent bulb is overhanging and illuminating the installation.