A HISTORY OF THE EARTH
An edition of thirteen handmade boxes (exterior 7x7x7”, interior 5x5x5”)
Containing original photogravure prints, C-print photographs, audio and video by Sean Connaughty. Design by Matt Zaun.

If you did not know of the Earth and had no context for understanding it, the smallest document or object would contain a wealth of information with which you could learn about the Earth. Its geological makeup, It’s climate, its resources and its inhabitants.

“The term Anthropocene is used by some scientists to describe the most recent period in the Earth’s history, starting in the 18th century when the activities of the human race first began to have a significant global impact on the Earth's climate and ecosystems. The term was coined in 2000 by the Nobel Prize winning scientist Paul Crutzen, who regards the influence of mankind on the Earth in recent centuries as so significant as to constitute a new geological era.” wikipedia Recent climatic changes, and human warlike activity has caused me to reflect on the possibility that the earth as we have known it may cease to exist.

All the work in the history originates from deeply personal experience and intends to evoke the quality of memory and unspoken significance. In each box will be a set of 28 small photogravure prints.

“A History of the Earth” is presented as a collection of historical and archaeological documents: the work is embedded with countless bits of information, which speak to technological capabilities and geological and meteorological information, as well as cultural, political and personal experience. In addition to being an archaeological document the history is a collection of art works that span a time period of more than twenty years.

The boxes contain photographic documents of objects and artworks. One such image, Citizen, was created in 1988 by smashing a television and fitting it inside of a jar, and accompanying the television is a second jar, which contains the accumulated receipts from one year.

“A History of the Earth (the Video)” is a series of videos that document the passage of one year (2005). The videos note climatic activity, the diversity of species, human anatomical, cultural, commercial and economic structure, from a deeply personal vantage point.

We have chosen materials that will endure. We used archival papers, CD’s, DVD’s, photographs. CD sleeves were specially die cut using Rives BFX 280g paper. These are letter-pressed by renowned printer and bookmaker Chip Schilling.

Curators statment and this collection created by Sean Connaughty.

A History of the Earth opens September 23rd at Marshall Arts Gallery in Northeast Minneapolis
Letter-press by master-printer Chip Schilling and Design by Matt Zaun.

Book Arts, Mixed Media, Photography