John Divola - Enso

John Divola is an American artist and photographer who has been exploring the boundaries of art and photography since the early 70s. His Vandalism series dates back to 1974. In this series, Divola entered abandoned buildings armed with a spray can and a photo camera.

Enso: 36 Right-Handed Circumference Gestures

In 2015, John Divola has generated new series of photos in abandoned buildings. In the housing tract of what was previously George Air Force Base in Victorville, California, USA. 'Enso' is a single work containing 36, 8x10 inch Silver Gelatin contact prints. These photographs are arranged chronologically and were exposed between June 7th and August 12th, 2018.

In each image I have attempted to draw a circle using spray paint and tracing the circumference of my right arm. Each drawing is in a different room generally in the morning. It is an index of a place and a time. It is an index and trace of my physical being.

In the 1995 film “Smoke” Harvey Keitel plays Auggie the owner of a smoke shop. One day Auggie brings out an album of photographs to show to his friend Paul, played by William Hurt. It seems that every afternoon Auggie goes out of his shop to photograph the same corner in front of his store. Looking at the images Paul exclaims that they are all the same. To which Auggie immediately protest that they are all different.

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