forced labor

a totally different body of work made be curious to look up the work of artist Liliana Porter but when I came to her clever, humorous, and poignant series Forced Labor I totally forgot about the other work and was completely consumed by this


This series uses found figures and materials to comment on labor, the human condition, and, though she does not state it, in my opinion loneliness.

Something I find interesting in the work is that often the figures are dressed in office wear or "nice" clothing but are in the act of a "forced" or "blue collar" labor. Especially the female figures. I find this juxtaposition interesting.

All of the works are placed on a simple white shelf with the figure miniaturized by the large pile of their labor.

This contrast is powerful. As well as the contrast of the "mess" of the material with the minimalism of the display choices.


I of course loved the ones where she uses fabrics and such but the series is extensive and goes into a vast amount of materials. See more here along with a ton of other work.