Vince Briffa
'Immigrant' focuses on the mundane residue of human presence. The photographs present a stark yet poignant interior portrait, an echo of an occupant and her spaces
The photographs traverse the dividing line from photography as art to photography as testimony or evidence, to resurface as forensic and media tools. They become images more often seen on newspapers or television news.They show the squalor left behind on the expiration of an unhappy life. And, as in the reality of the day to day, like many sights that go unseen, they are an unpleasantness that can be quickly dismissed,if ever it is noticed.
The photographs in 'Imigrant' are not conformant to conventional photographic aesthetic. They partake to another life and are the outcome of the interuption of the (stationary) present inorder to evidence a (lost) past. These pieces are, in actuality, matter rescued from 'the scene of the crime' My responsibility was to photograph and hence provide testimonial material - a 'scribe' called onto this assignment to record without giving comment….a common day to day function in forensic investigation. Catch it quickly…no viual composition….just proof….
A strange crime has been committed in this apartment. One that left behind odd clues…empty plastic water bottles…used tissue paper….syrines and morphine…plastic flowers …endless plastic bags an anthology of a ravaged human event made known through humble objects that pertain to the common unconscious but relate to a unique experience-an enigmatic tableau vivant.
It seems as if the tenant has, like a refugee or illegal immigrant, been uprooted violently with no time to make amends,leaving only traces of a secretly lived, solitary life