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Library of Dust 1165

Photograph
2006 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Maisel, David (photographers)
Place of origin
United States (printed)

This C-print photograph is printed on matte surface paper. This image is from a series that shows canisters containing the cremated remains of patients who died in the Oregon State Insane Asylum between 1883 and the 1970s. Variations in the chemical composition of the human 'dust' have caused each copper canister to corrode differently. Here the colour and form of this corrosion suggests the damp recesses of a cave, or the earth seen from space. But the grim basis for these images leads the viewer to consider a different kind of environmental issue: the final resting place of our bodies

Object details

Category
Photographs
Object type
Photograph
TitleLibrary of Dust 1165 (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
C-type photographic colour print
Paper
Printing
Brief description
C-print colour photograph by David Maisel, depicting a corroded copper canister on a black background
Physical description
C-print colour photograph, depicting a corroded copper canister on a black background
Dimensions
  • Width: 1219mm
  • Height: 1650mm
Production typeLimited edition
Gallery label
(01/2007 - 01/2008)
This photograph is from a series that shows cans containing the cremated remains of patients who died in the Oregon State Insane Asylum between 1883 and the 1970s. Variations in the chemical composition of the human 'dust' have caused each copper canister to corrode differently. Within the series, colour and form suggest the damp recesses of a cave, or the earth seen from space. But the grim basis for these images leads the viewer to consider a different kind of environmental issue: the final resting place of our bodies.
Credit line
Purchased through the Cecil Beaton Royalties Fund
Historical context
The canister depicted is one of over five thousand, containing the cremated remains of patients from the Oregon State Insane Asylum , 1883 - 1970.
Production
Attribution note: Print is 1 of 1 at this scale, with one additional artist's proof.
Subjects depicted
Mortality
Canisters
Summary
This C-print photograph is printed on matte surface paper. This image is from a series that shows canisters containing the cremated remains of patients who died in the Oregon State Insane Asylum between 1883 and the 1970s. Variations in the chemical composition of the human 'dust' have caused each copper canister to corrode differently. Here the colour and form of this corrosion suggests the damp recesses of a cave, or the earth seen from space. But the grim basis for these images leads the viewer to consider a different kind of environmental issue: the final resting place of our bodies
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.438-2006

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Record createdJanuary 9, 2007
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O130720/library-of-dust-1165-photograph-maisel-david/
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