Christopher Williams, Model # 105M - R59C. Keystone Shower Door. 57.4 x 59", Chrome / Raindrop. SKU # 109149. #96235. 970 - 084 - 000 (Meiko). Vancouver, B.C. Wednesday, April 6, 2005 (2005). Gelatin silver print. Print: 40.6 x 50.8 cm. Framed: 75.6 x 85.1 x 3.8 cm. Edition 2 of 10 +1 AP. Courtesy David Zwirner.
Christopher Williams, Interflug Model: Iljuschin IL-62. Flight number: IF 882. Departure: 3:30 pm, SXF – Berlin Schönefeld, Berlin,German Democratic Republic. Arrival: 5:40 pm, ALG – Houari Boumediene Airport, Algiers,Algeria. Sunday, August 28, 1983. Studio Rhein Verlag, Düsseldorf. October 21, 2013 (2014). Inkjet print on cotton rag paper. Print: 36.8 x 45.7 cm. Framed: 76.2 x 84.1 x 3.8 cm. Edition 5 of 10 + 4 AP.
Christopher Williams, K-Line Matt. Dulling Spray. CFC Free. Applications - Photographic- Motion Picture- TV Studio. Removes Glaring Highlights from Polished Surfaces in Camera Work.Coats evenly with a very fine spray pattern – it effectively dulls any polished object to be photographed. Directions. Shake the can well, and whilst spraying, hold not more than 30 cm (12 inches) from the object. The spray sets in about 2 minutes, and further coats may be added if necessary. It wipes off easily with a soft cloth and all smears can be removed with a little spirit. K-Line spray is safe with most materials, but a test should be made on a scrap surface if in doubt, especially with some types of plastics. Caution: Pressurised container. Protect from sunlight and do not expose to temperatures exceeding 50º C. Do not pierce or burn even after use. Do not spray on a naked flame or any incandescent material. Keep away from sources of ignition – No Smoking. Keep out of reach of children. Do not breath spray. Avoid contact with eyes. Use only in ventilated areas. Store at a minimum of 20º CUN 1950. Extremely Flammable. 2827S W Kenyon Cranbrook – Kent U.K. Division of K-Line. Photographic Supplies Company. Telephone: 01580 850770. Made in Britain. Registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office. Studio Rhein Verlag, Düsseldorf. August 24, 2014 (2014). Inkjet print on cotton rag paper. Print: 69.9 x 55.9 cm. Framed: 108 x 95.3 x 3.8 cm. Edition of 10 + 1 of 4 AP. © Christopher Williams. Courtesy the artist, David Zwirner, and Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne.
The bizarre and long-winded titles of Christopher Williams’ photographs often include the materials and circumstances surrounding the making of their image or subject matter.
The adjacent inkjet print, for instance, is titled after the mundane scrawl on the back of K-Line Matt Dulling Spray cans—including application instructions, necessary precautions, and the contact information of the supply company.
Williams created a series of detailed archives in the 2010s, informed by two Cold War-era publications: Polish lifestyle-and-fashion magazine, Ty i Ja (You and I), and Lui (Him), a French pin-up magazine specialising in female erotica.
Speaking to social conditions and discursive binaries of Cold War society, the images are now on view at David Zwirner, Hong Kong, as part of R59C Keystone Shower Door — Chrome/Raindrop (20 January–18 February 2023).
Main image: Christopher Williams, K-Line Matt. Dulling Spray. CFC Free. Applications - Photographic- Motion Picture- TV Studio. Removes Glaring Highlights from Polished Surfaces in Camera Work.Coats evenly with a very fine spray pattern – it effectively dulls any polished object to be photographed. Directions. Shake the can well, and whilst spraying, hold not more than 30 cm (12 inches) from the object. The spray sets in about 2 minutes, and further coats may be added if necessary. It wipes off easily with a soft cloth and all smears can be removed with a little spirit. K-Line spray is safe with most materials, but a test should be made on a scrap surface if in doubt, especially with some types of plastics. Caution: Pressurised container. Protect from sunlight and do not expose to temperatures exceeding 50º C. Do not pierce or burn even after use. Do not spray on a naked flame or any incandescent material. Keep away from sources of ignition – No Smoking. Keep out of reach of children. Do not breath spray. Avoid contact with eyes. Use only in ventilated areas. Store at a minimum of 20º CUN 1950. Extremely Flammable. 2827S W Kenyon Cranbrook – Kent U.K. Division of K-Line. Photographic Supplies Company. Telephone: 01580 850770. Made in Britain. Registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office. Studio Rhein Verlag, Düsseldorf. August 24, 2014 (2014). Inkjet print on cotton rag paper. Print: 69.9 x 55.9 cm. Framed: 108 x 95.3 x 3.8 cm. Edition of 10 + 1 of 4 AP. © Christopher Williams. Courtesy the artist, David Zwirner, and Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne.
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