the 770 show • parker tilghman

parker tilghman's working process usually involves making archive folders on his computer filled with countless images that he has compiled from the internet. for the 770 show, parker saw the books at adobe in a similar way, as an archive of sorts. while in the stacks, parker focused on the queer section and stumbled upon a book titled "coming out of the classroom closet: gay and lesbian teachers, students, and their curricula". his thoughts immediately jumped to a project he had been developing over the past few months dealing with images of young boys who had recently committed suicide due to aggressive bullying at their schools. parker was interested in how these images were now functioning in a separate context from their original intent, both as final effigies of the young boys and as stand-ins for victims before and after. covering his computer screen in a shroud, parker pressed sheet film directly onto the monitor--essentially making direct contact with his subject. the resulting image is both haunting and elegiac; a poignant memoir of beautiful lives cut short. more of his work can be seen at icaughtaglimpse.com.


image 1: cover of "coming out of the classroom closet: gay and lesbian teachers, students, and their curricula" by karen m. harbeck
image 2: untitled (aeon 13), 2011, gelatin silver print
image 3: untitled (aeon 5), 2011, gelatin silver print
image 4: untitled (aeon 10), 2011, gelatin silver print