TIME I$ MONEY | ONGOING

What is known to be one of the first photographic depictions of a human being dates back to 1838 image by Louis Daguerre of boulevard du Temple in Paris. A cityscape is rendered lifeless except for a silhouette of a man positioned in the lower center of the frame. Early photo emulsions and surfaces were not as light sensitive as modern cameras and required long exposures to make an image even in daylight. The man in this picture made an appearance solely because he was standing in place while he was getting his shoes shined. The shoe shiner, in the meantime, is barely visible since he was moving while performing his labor. What appears to be the first photograph of a man, coincidentally turns out to be a first photograph delineating class roles and social relations.

Time is both a unit of measurement of camera exposure and commodification of labor. I ask people of all professions how much time it takes them to earn a dollar and then use their response to calculate a camera exposure. I then use that exposure to document the individuals performing their labor at place of work on a large format technical camera. This strategy is both a means to measure how much money you need to earn to be visible and the relationship between time, space and social relations.

Today, global economy is ravaged by wage disparity and inequality in an unprecedented way. Inflation and sky rocketing costs of living diminish the affordability and financial security, while 400 Americans own majority of the wealth and pay reduced taxes. The difference between labor of love and exploitation becomes evident with New York City median rents costing $4500 a month while minimum wage is $15 per hour.