Metaphor and Memento in Christine Shank's Our First Year Together

Abstract

Christine Shank's powerful and continually unfolding work, our first year together, is an ongoing series of photographs and edition of two artists' books, begun --in 2009 and exhibited at Visual Studies Workshop in fall 2014. The title suggests the story of a couple or a human relationship. This is reinforced by two images: one showing an anonymous male figure and the other an anonymous female figure. The woman is photographed from behind, with long hair obscuring her features, and the man's eyes are closed in contemplation, so that the individuals' identities and experiences remain ambiguous. Instead, photographs of domestic objects, still lifes, and landscapes evoke conflicting emotions, interpersonal dynamics, and various moments in the trajectory of a relationship. Throughout the series, photographed objects take on complex human characteristics. For example, one photograph presents a close-up of a pink bubble of chewing gum pinned to a wall. The bubble gum suggests a human form, with its rounded shape and delicate droop evoking a pregnant belly. The pink color and the expansion of the material suggest the stretching of flesh. The pink bubble brings to mind youth and ebullience, both in terms of lightheartedness and the shape of the object. Yet the bubble is partially deflated and pierced by the pin, so that it simultaneously conveys disenchantment, loss, and violence. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Other images represent human relationships as well, such as the photograph of two vertical stacks of sliced grocery store bread that evoke two figures. The stack on the left leans toward the other, perhaps in aggression or need for support. The stack on the right seems to recede and comply, its curvilinear shape accommodating the other, yet it appears unbalanced at the base. The bright blue twist ties in the foreground may at first seem playful, yet they are contorted, conveying intense emotion. Throughout the photographic series, domestic objects appear familiar, yet also disquieting. For example, embroidered cloth with wrinkles shows dailywear, and partially used bars of soap convey a sense of intimacy. Yet there are also photographs of knifelike icicles or blood stains on linen cloth, suggesting undercurrents of violence. Within the context of the title ourfirst year toget/ier, the landscapes hold different resonance. On one level, they recall the process of taking photographs as a memento of a place of importance in a personal relationship. On another level, however, the landscapes evoke human qualities--from the turbulent water and waves to fertile green grass (with occasional dry patches), to the rocky, barren earth and the placid sea. Also fascinating are the different arrangements of the images. For example, a photograph of a vase and flowers on a wooden table recalls the tradition of vanitas painting. …