Exhibited for the first time at Roman Road, E.I. / Transition presents Antony Cairns’ latest works, evolved from his experiments with electronic ink. Inspired from his recent publication LDN EI – a digital photobook made from recycled e-book tablets – Cairns has taken the idea of photographic printing to new levels, developing a unique series of works that presents his contemporary photographs in E Ink screens. The selected image is uploaded to a salvaged e-reader, left untouched and then disconnected; due to its bistable display, the image on the screen is retained even when all power sources are removed. The screen is then taken apart from the device, halting any interference from the electronic impulses that could alter the display and leaving a lasting image.
The exhibition also comprises a selection of the artist’s Transitions (2015) featured at differing heights on the walls. For these works, Cairns has photographed and reproduced the transitional images that appear as you flick through the pages of his LDN EI, documenting the passages that link together his entire archive. In exhibiting these two new series together, E.I. / Transition provides an intriguing look at how the artist has evolved his contemporary projects.