OCTOBER
2009

Digital Prints on Paper

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The act of taking a photograph is a powerful act; you are saying that the thing you are documenting should be recorded, preserved, and shared for ever. The act of creating a portrait is even more personal and telling. It is a collaboration between the photographer and the subject. How much does the subject choose to show or is able to show and how well can the photographer capture it. 

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This project transfers that idea to an object and asks the question, "Can a person be represented by an object of their choosing? How does someone choose a single item out of millions do serve as their stand in for a portrait?"

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October asked participants to select a single leaf, during the month of October, and mail it to the artist for documentation. This small act took some participants seconds and other days. After being documented, some of  the leaves were paired with other participants within the their families.