Work and Trade

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In “Work and Trade,” an installation and week-long performance, Lamson continued his interest in interventions by using the gallery itself as a site of production, exchange, and dialogue. From May 22–May 29, 2009 Lamson worked in the gallery making drawings with a device that consisted of a ceiling fan, string and a marker. Visitors were invited to look through a flat file archive of this work and offer him something in exchange for a drawing of their choice. The traded item became part of a collection of unique objects on display in the gallery, and anything that was not already in the collection could be offered as a trade. By allowing viewers the ability to trade something for a drawing, Lamson created both an opportunity for dialogue and a system through which the audience determined the content of the work on display. Through these conversations and the display of traded objects Lamson challenged the viewer to question the criteria by which the value is determined.