Three Tahitians at the Boundary to the Polar Eternities, 2011
photo prints

Harbor Art Gallery, UMass-Boston
Boston, MA, October 2011

My sponsor and friend Alex asked me to photograph myself at the furthest point north during my residency in the Arctic. Instead, I photographed him. Anyone who has watched the news with Alex, or extolled the virtues of exploring nature with him will know what I mean. Like Alex, the Aggies of Texas A&M University (of which I am one) are generally a hard-working, practical, capitalist bunch, and the university's engineering school is as good as any at preparing its graduates for a career in fossil fuels. Maggie is Tahitian (tropical) culture needing to stretch.

Each Tahitian in this series is seated at the same location on Earth, but are in very different places.

What is "here"?

Is it the chair you're sitting in?

Or the side of the road you pull over to?

When you drive off, and someone later pulls into the same spot, will they be in the same place you were?

When they leave that spot, will they leave behind the same things you did?

"Here" is the place that you either want to remain, or leave, and all of the reasons for your wanting to do so.

Alex at the Boundary to the Polar Eternities

Aggie at the Boundary to the Polar Eternities

Maggie at the Boundary to the Polar Eternities