Ann Hamilton
Ann Hamilton
Sense
Hardcover with jacket
8.75 x 12 inches
176 pages / 110 images
Radius Books
About the Book:
Ann Hamilton has, throughout her practice, used videos and still images as part of her larger installation works, though they have rarely been the singular focus of a project. This publication brings together vocabulary from four bodies of image-based work produced over the last five years and includes photographic portraits as well as lensless contact scans of ornithological taxidermy, fabrics and garments, and objects from various personal and institutional collections. Reprocessed through multiple printings on tissue Gampi and newsprint, the images emphasize the tactile nature of their substrate and Hamilton’s material hand. The work’s physical presence is reinforced by the textured surface of the book’s pages and scale shifts. This volume thus becomes an art object of its own; repetition, the atmospheric nature of the images’ shallow depths of field, and the intuitive connections made between different bodies of work create an almost film-like cadence that renders the felt qualities of touch.
Book review by Sage Helene |
Ann Hamilton’s book “Sense” presents a collection of assembled materials, taking the viewer on a textural journey. Through objects such as birds, leaves, and fabric, our sight ignites our touch, smell, taste, and sound as we explore the pages. Hamilton’s publication of “Sense” weaves together a culmination of photographs using a flatbed scanner. This process emphasizes touch, which is at the core of Hamilton’s work. The relationship between the flatbed scanner and the object illuminates the tactility of the photograph. We see the formation of shape created through the shared connection between the scanner and the object. In some images, such as the narrow orange leaf that has begun to deteriorate, we can see the lines from the scanner caused by the light source used to capture the object’s reflection and digital replication.
The beauty of Hamilton’s work lies in the delicacy of the photographs. She highlights the essence of her objects by blending contemporary photography with traditional technologies. The glass pressed against the object produces a soft glow, presenting an ephemeral quality. For instance, we are enticed by the metallic blue that shines against the backdrop of a bird’s black feathers. The red veins extending through the back of a maple leaf, now curled from the cold, and the pale white of a young child’s hand hiding behind what looks like a fogged window screen further emphasize this delicate interplay.
In the accompanying text, Hamilton invites the audience to ponder the relationship between humans and animals. There is a body of text that depicts an exchange between animal and man. Both are staring at each other “ACROSS A NARROW ABYSS OF NON-COMPREHENSION.” But neither is fearful of the other; instead, there is recognition. “YET THE ANIMAL IS DISTINCT AND CAN NEVER BE CONFUSED.” Much like the feeling of familiarity found in “Sense.”Each page engulfs us in the surroundings rather than one point of focus.
We can conclude that every creature uses its eyes to communicate in a universal language while simultaneously reminding us of its subjectivity. Visual information lights up our optic fibers, which carry signals along our nerves to the brain, where individual interpretations are shaped and understood. As creatures, we can all look at what is in front of us, but our perception of how we see it differs.
Hamilton evokes our sense of touch even when we cannot physically feel. Looking at the strands of blue fabric loosely lining the rectangular patch of cloth and the wrinkles creased in the folded fabric draws our attention to form, inviting us to imagine the sensation of texture under our fingertips.
The intimacy of “Sense” lies in the visual and physical materialization in Hamilton’s subjects. The act of wandering through its pages opens us up to Hamilton’s world. We choose the speed at which we flip the pages, allowing our vision to linger on the images as the experience unfolds before us. Through these details, she blurs the line between the tangible and intangible, making us acutely aware of the material presence and the intimate relationship between the viewer and the artwork.
