Jirimani, 2004-2005

DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park
Lincoln, MA
Photographic Duraclears
16x6'; 6x2'; 8x4'
Site photography by Cathy Carver

For Jirimani, Jo Yarrington has created an unusual and provocative installation using large-scale photographic transparencies in three different locations within the Museum--in the large window overlooking the main entrance, the six-foot window in the elevator, and a selection of eight windows in the Grand Staircase. The images--photographs of abstracted bodies with markings that are illuminated in predominantly red light--will bathe viewers in projected images back-lit by the sun. The title of this exhibition, Jirimani, means "to sing" in Australian Aboriginal language, and refers to a ritual used in their religious practice called "Dreaming," which implies putting marks and names on the ground in order to lay claim to a place. Yarrington's work explores the interface of body, light, space, and spirit in sacred spaces and art-based sites.

Rachel Ronsenfield Lafo
Director of Curatorial Affairs
DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park