Jeff Wall. Insomnia, 1994

Jeff Wall born September 29, 1946 is an artist best known for his large-scale backlit cibachrome photographs and art history writing. He took this photograph in 1994 of a man in the kitchen under a table, the kitchen is set up in a way to tell a story and to give meaning to why the man is under the table. The man in the image looks anxious and troubled; the way the image was organized gives clues to why the man is in this position.

"The set for this work is an exact replica of the kitchen in Wall’s studio. The man seemingly suffering from a nightmarish episode of insomnia is an actor. The claustrophobic atmosphere is emphasized by the awkward positioning of the furniture – tables and chairs are placed at angles that defeat their function, and appear to block the fridge and cooker from opening. The door and cupboard, half ajar, could be read as metaphors for the mind, in its struggle to find an escape into sleep." (Tate Online.)

word count: 171

reference:

Tate webpage (http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/jeffwall/infocus/section3/img5.shtm)

Photography as contemporary art, chapter 2/ Once upon a time. Charlotte Cotton.