evidence of absence - adam jeppesen

"Evidence of Absence" seeks to provoke thought about the increasingly blurred boundaries between the biological and synthetic.

The works constituting the Evidence of Absence series, are so-called anthotypes: images created using light-sensitive material from plants. Jeppesen has collected plants to dye the paper, which has then been dried and placed in the sun with a photo negative on top. The color from the organic material remains in the most shaded areas, while the areas most exposed to the sun turn pale. The project therefore involves a high degree of chance as the result is not only dependent on the time of year that the plant-material is harvested, but also the weather during the development. This hands-on method stands in stark contrast to the ghostly motifs, which have been created using software. The portraits are not meant to appear clear and recognizable, but as sensations or abstractions, which might evoke not only our imagination but also our memories. Recognizing a face is one of the most basic human instincts, and Jeppesen's vision is to create a bridge between us, as biological beings, and the intangible and synthetic, such as software, by giving it a biological form.

The faces represent something, but not someone. What we are looking at is not human. They have never been children and they will never grow old. They are contemporary ghosts, 

without the foundational aspects of impermanence and transience that constitute and guide our own mortal lives. We are dealing with a strange case of photography that does not depict a moment in time. A bit like ghosts, we encounter a phenomenon that has an impact on us, but which is out of reach and impossible to physically touch. Jeppesen offers a concrete image that attests the capabilities of artificial intelligence. This that may spawn reflection on the existential and ethical implications that follow, once we put our trust in something that not only has great learning power and formidable ability to simulate, but which is also hard to catch sight of.

Artificial intelligence has become the phantom of the modern age, a ghost, whose presence not only supports our modern lifestyle, but also challenges our democracy as well as truth itself.

The Special Edition of 'Evidence of Absence' is truly unique. Jeppesen has crafted 10 distinct Anthotypes/Cyanotypes of AI-generated faces on linen. Each piece is part of a numbered and signed book, complete with a certificate of authenticity.

special edition of 10 copies; we have four works available. The (M)éditions also has four works available (see their website).

stock number: NB647