Aviv Hilbig-Bokaer '17

Christian Marclay, Unwound Cassette Tape, 2012

Clark University Student Aviv Hilbig-Bokaer works on Worcester Art Museum Cyanotypes

A Day in the Galleries

The most rewarding component of this research process has been the numerous visits to contemporary photography galleries across the country. The respite in these spaces from the writing, reading, and interlibrary loan nightmares that are also part of the process has been phenomenal. I've been lucky enough to have one-on-one meetings with gallery representatives at the Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco and Yossi Milo Gallery in Chelsea, New York. These spaces are the forefront of the fascinating work done being done by artists across the photography medium, and they have received me warmly and augmented my research in many valuable ways. I've had the chance to see recent works by Christian Marclay and Marco Breuer that have expanded my understandings of their respective oeuvres. What impressed me most during these visits was the seemingly vast and informal dialogues that have been taking place between so many artists who choose to use the cyanotype medium. Certain names such as Meghann Riepenhoff and Barbara Kasten came up in conversation repeatedly. These informal bits of information served as crucial jumping off points during the course of my research, and also became important points of reference when viewing the works included in the show.