Sur Veils

Sur Veils

Designed to look like official documents, the loose pages of this artist’s book are printed on what look like government bonds. Inside the frame of each rectangular page’s sober gray and blue scalop edge, texts describe five aspects of a phenomenon that pervades our culture: surveillance. In between the chapters entitled surveillance and knowledge, surveillance and purity, surveillance and reciprocity, surveillance and glamour, and surveillance and absurdity, the artist has inserted veils or masks. Photographs of faces with eyes closed have small holes cut into the eyelids so that the wearer can “turn the tables on those adversaries – whoever they may be – ” and practice his or her own version of surreptitious observation.

Lithograph and laser printing, loose sheets in a vellum envelope.

Brooklyn, 1996.

$19.95