This project explores aspects of the value of work and the relationship between art and labor, the consumption of commodities produced within the field of art, the commodification of labor as well as the role of the artist as a worker, and the role they play in the reproduction of social relations. 

 

Drawing from my experience as a frame designer and finisher, I apply the techniques and processes commonly used in designing, manufacturing, and restoring frames using wood and adapt them for paper frames instead. I view paper as the primary support material for photographic images, similar to how a frame supports a piece of art. 

 

I then arrange the empty paper frames in a Salon-Style setup, creating a site-specific installation that evokes the Paris Salon. Additionally, I use a pegboard to create a layout that resembles a framing studio woodshop. The information found on the back of the frames can unveil crucial details about the artwork and its value. The back of the frames is frequently disregarded for extended periods. These images are not the opposite of the front of the frames, but they necessitate a specialized and skillful effort that frequently goes unnoticed. In this series, I have reversed the positioning of the themes to draw attention and recognition to the labor and time put into the fabrication of art-related commodities. These commodities are frequently produced by artists who rely on day jobs to cover their production costs and living expenses.

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Additionally, I make use of photographs shot in the framing studio and then translate them into drawings. These drawings are then hand-carved into refurbished wooden frames discarded from the woodshop. In these pieces, the space and production processes take over and are imprinted directly into the finished object.

 

This artistic practice involves replicating manual labor production processes, creating an overlap between production created for income and the labor produced in my studio. Through this, I aim to expose the various values of work, including the abstract value and labor behind the production of artwork and images, as well as the material and use values of objects produced for art exhibition and conservation. Additionally, I explore the use of the latter as artwork when created by an artist.