On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

White Goods

Photograph
2007-2008 (made)
Artist/Maker
Pickering, Sarah (photographer)
Place of origin
United Kingdom (made)

Sarah Pickering's series 'Incident' documents the spaces used by fire fighters during training exercises. The abandoned rooms create eerie spaces for the viewer to occupy. Pickering's images of burnt out rooms are textured with soot and ashes, and printed as entirely matt photographs. At first glance, the viewer might find it difficult to discern whether this image, 'White Goods', is in fact a photograph or a charcoal drawing.

Object details

Category
Photographs
Object type
Photograph
TitleWhite Goods (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Fibre based gelatin silver print mounted on Heritage Museumboard (2.2 mm)
Brief description
Photograph by Sarah Pickering, 'White Goods', from the series 'Incident', 2007/2008.
Physical description
Black and white matt photograph of white goods burnt by a fire.
Dimensions
  • Image height: 124.5cm
  • Image length: 149.5cm
Gallery label
(15/06/2023)
The pristine whiteness suggested by the title of this work contrasts with the charred appearance of the household appliances. This photograph is from Pickering's series Incident, which depicts environments used by fire fighters for training exercises. The eerie artificial domestic space reflects the trauma experienced after real-life house fires. The destructive, unpredictable nature of fire is controlled in these simulated situations.
(2009)
Pickering's series Incident documents the spaces used by fire fighters during training exercises. The abandoned rooms create eerie spaces for the viewer to occupy. Pickering's images of burnt out rooms are textured with soot and ashes, and printed as entirely matt photographs. At first glance, the viewer might find it difficult to discern whether this image, White Goods, is in fact a photograph or a charcoal drawing.
Credit line
Purchased with the support of Mr and Mrs Eric Franck and assistance from Meessen De Clercq, Brussels
Summary
Sarah Pickering's series 'Incident' documents the spaces used by fire fighters during training exercises. The abandoned rooms create eerie spaces for the viewer to occupy. Pickering's images of burnt out rooms are textured with soot and ashes, and printed as entirely matt photographs. At first glance, the viewer might find it difficult to discern whether this image, 'White Goods', is in fact a photograph or a charcoal drawing.
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.258-2009

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Record createdJune 8, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O239503/white-goods-photograph-pickering-sarah/
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