An archive is normally a collection, sometimes stored away, but in the possession of a person who has an interest in the material. The archive is usually a valued possession such as family albums. The context of these images is clear as they are records of family moments captured in the past. The owner, even if they are not in the photos, will usually have knowledge of all the people and places in the images.
Nicky Bird’s series Question for Seller combines the concept of family image archives and the modern phenomenon of eBay. The result is a series where the images have been removed from their original context and re-created by the artist combined with text from the seller. Bird requested some information on the history of the images and why they are being sold. The responses are presented alongside each archive and displayed in a gallery.
The series is not about the images themselves but about the connection between the images and the seller and understanding why they are for sale and at such low prices – 99p. Notably all of these images were unwanted, not only by the seller but also the rest of the eBay community. The only person interested was Nicky Bird. There is a sad aspect to the series of forgotten people and unwanted photos. It is a study of relationships with the past and the value we place on it. In this series it is not only a subjective value but an actual monetary value – 99p in these cases.
The fact that an artist has had a concept, compiled a set of images with seller responses and displayed them in a gallery has made them art. The images individually may not be worthy of a gallery wall, but as an archive they have the element of time, identity and place which are all good photographic characteristics. The main feature of this exhibition is the very point of displaying it on a gallery wall and how something of minimal monetary value and interest can then, during an eBay auction at the end of the exhibition, be wanted and have their value increased.
Martyn Rainbird 