Sara Cwynar’s Accidental Archives
Canadian artist, Sara Cwynar last appeared on this blog for teasing the truth out of Advil packaging. For her latest project, Cwynar arranged a decade of personal accumulations into a series of installations called “Accidental Archives”. She then photographed the color-coded assemblages for display as C-prints.
The installation assembles a miscellany of objects and possessions arranged to represent an insight into the artist’s life and creative process. Cwynar extends the concept by organizing her belongings into smaller color coded formats, creating mini dioramas that inform the photo editions. These visual cross-sections are a contemporary take on classic still life photography, where what starts as a study of color, evolves into a variety of narratives that speak on ideas such as gender roles, consumerism, and mass consumption.
The photos are also just interesting to look at, from a collector’s perspective. Cwynar’s Accidental Archives recall the work of Marjan Teeuwen, which brings up one of my favorite topics: “Installation Art or Hoarding?”
You can stop by the Accidental Archives and check them out in person at Cooper Cole Gallery in Toronto, Canada through August 18th.
Click through for lemons, Santa Claus and a skull.
