The premise that an image can reveal the full truth of a situation it depicts has been profoundly called into question over the past four decades, but interest in artworks that describe the world has proven to be exceptionally resilient. While the term “documentary” has always been vexed, the possibilities, contradictions and paradoxes associated with the word have formed a vital arena of activity in contemporary art over the past 20 years.
Residue: The Persistence of the Real is comprised of work that draws upon a documentary impulse and pursues the real as something that cannot be entirely reduced to representation, while at the same time acknowledging the mediating character of the mechanisms that shape perception. The book presents recent work in a variety of media, including photography, video and installation by nine artists from Vancouver and elsewhere.
Edited by Grant Arnold
9 x 11 inches
69 colour and black and white illustrations
ISBN 9781910433263
Softcover
Vancouver Art Gallery and Black Dog Publishing
2015