Elsie Taliaferro Hill
In demolition, commercial architecture that is prefabricated and
systematic becomes unique and chaotic. The internal framework
is dragged out into the sunlight and momentarily framed by the
exterior surroundings. Signs and logos are reduced to the value
of the recyclable material on which they are printed; the signifier
is detached from the signified. These images are the catalyst for
my work.
My interest in these subjects begins and ends with their
accelerated demise. Each artwork is an indexical gesture that
catalogues an element from the former structure. The source
material consists of photographs that I take and artifacts that I
collect during demolition. I combine, rearrange, and manipulate
this material in order to identify and isolate significant elements.
The painted image serves as a representation of an object or
space that has been deconstructed, deteriorated, or destroyed.
When the painting is paired with an artifact, the work toggles
between the simulation and incorporation of elements and offers
a narrative about architecture discarded in the process of urban
renewal.