As the name suggests, this pared back photograph documents a collection of paper files laid fastidiously across the floor of an unfurnished room. The power of the image lies with its straightforward telling and the avoidance of visual tropes or rhetoric. By removing such clutter the viewer engages with the interior architectural elements and the topographical arrangement of the files. Of course, there's another seductive but imaginary room where the opportunity for meaningful narrative unfolds. A space to conjure similar or unrelated images documenting abandonment, the collapse of institutions, exposures of injustice etc. On a visceral level it evokes the smell of forgotten rooms where sunlight bears witness. The gelatin silver print is 195 x 245mm in size and has an estimate (NZ $4000-6000) consistent with this artists prominence in local collections.
Price realised at auction: NZ $4,204