Nigel Poor: The Relative Value of Things
June 3, 2009
In 2007 our crew at the Imprint of the San Francisco Center for the Book had the pleasure
of publishing Nigel Poor‘s artist book edition titled The Relative Value of Things. The edition, produced during her SFCB artist residency, now lends its title and concept to a full-scale exhibition at Haines Gallery in downtown San Francisco.
The show continues Nigel’s investigations into the joys, follies and contradictions of collect-ing, desire and valorization. It features encapsulated hair and lint donated by a multitude of individuals (public participation is often central to Nigel’s projects), color images and letterpress-printed lists documenting personal possessions discarded by the artist over time, and meticulously drawn text that addresses the struggle to find reassurance and meaning amidst life’s mysteries and uncertainties.
The exhibition also includes a cell phone tour and an interactive website that elaborates on her philosophy of discarded items and invites audience participation.
This is Nigel’s fourth solo show at Haines Gallery. Her work has been exhibited in various national venues and can be found in the collections of the SFMOMA, the M.H. deYoung Museum, the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art and the Corcoran Gallery of Art. She has received several nationally recognized awards including an SF Arts Council Grant and a Polaroid Artist Support Grant. She received her BA from Bennington College in Vermont and her MFA from Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, and is currently an associate professor of photography at California State University, Sacramento.
Congratulations on this fascinating project Nigel. You’re a joy to work with and a wonderful friend.
The Relative Value of Things is on view through August 1. Haines Gallery is at 49 Geary Street, Suite 540, San Francisco CA 94108. Tel. (415) 397-8114. Hours: Tuesday to Friday 10:30 A.M. – 5:30 P.M., Saturday 10:30 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.