Theworks in the exhibition are perceived in relation to each other and aremoving independently between the physical and the video space in apalindrome, a common element in Richards’ work. By the use of foundmaterial, printed matter and manufactured objects the artistcreates an installation that beautifully reflects on dualism,mirroring, self-improvement and the effects of repetition on theprinted word. Untitled (The Mirror Within),is a collection of secondhand self-improvement books (The Mirror Within’A New Look at Sexuality’) written in 1985 by Anne Dickinson that helpsthe readers to re-evaluate and embrace their sexuality. The cover ofthe book is a golden mirror that reflects the face of the beholder as agraphic proposal on introspection. Richards has collected hundreds ofthose books and are piled up on a column that stands both strong andvulnerable; the repetition of the books addressing ones self, stackedup to the height of a human.
The theme of repetition and revision is also present in Untitled,a diptych made by appropriating the pages that introduce the prefacesfor the first two editions of David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson’s,Film Art: An Introduction (1979 and 1988). The typography was thenetched into crustal so as to cast a shadow of the texts on the wallbehind the frame.
Pirate is a video diptych of two SONY televisions dreaking of a Toshiba. The two screens are leaning on the wall playing a short loopthat mixes a flat screen advertising demo with a sunset from a naturedocumentary. The sequence plays, endlessly looping and continuouslydiving into the abyss of the plasma world. The idea of piracy on film,or of imagery in general, meets the romantic notion of pirates sailingin the horizon of the footage.
The two wall hangings, The Best of / The Worst Of are made with a set of rubber badges designed by the artist bearing theslogan ‘The Best of / The Worst of’ printed forwards, backwards and indifferent colour combinations. The badges are pinnin thousands to apair of fabric banners, making dense colour fields that both equaliseand abstract the contradictory slogan.
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