Frying Chips

The work consists of a series of r-type prints of what appear to be routine jobs of people at work. These are in fact part of an extensive exercise, which document the artist in a number of performance roles. As the viewer examines one image after another, it becomes apparent that the artist has taken on an array of blue Collar jobs. These roles - which have been documented in a series of photographic images, question social and individual identity in the workplace. These prejudices were experienced first hand by the artist, with the jobs actually being undertaken. This is an important element to the work and is continuous in the artist's practice. The work is also a form of self-portraiture, in which the 'artist' appears to have a number of different lives, leading the audience to question which one is hers. There is a sense of bizarre in the act of taking on these fictional appearances, which is in contrast to the genuine evidence presented. These images could easily be stills from a fly on the wall documentary, which lends to a further blurring to the reality of the image. A wardrobe containing the uniforms that are worn in the series was also presented at the exhibition, which the audience could try on. The images presented were made during the latter part of 2001/2.