The Blind

Site-specific installation with window blind, 45 1/2w x 94 1/2”h, in the first parlor room upstairs in the David Ireland House.

In the first room upstairs, is a permanent piece by David Ireland. He blocked up the window with two copper plates. Underneath the window, he placed an audiotape player. The audio recording is that of David narrating what he saw out of the window. 

For ‘The Blind’, a window blind is installed to the right of the window that David covered up. The dimensions of the Blind are such that it would have covered a window of the same size.  The Blind is installed directly on the wall, with the shutters closed. This serves to accentuate David’s piece on the left. Further more, it creates a psychological conundrum: is there a window opening behind the blind? Is the Blind hiding anything?  What is it hiding?  When the sun shines on the blind, it adds another layer of questioning about the physical presence of the viewer:  are we inside or outside?