Developed out of the process of repeatedly copying a sheet of paper, “Untitled (copy machine)” became the last instance in the series of experiments on reproduction.

While photocopying a sheet of paper two hundred times (always taking the latest copy as base for the reproduction), text begins to disappear, words begin to change, fonts begin to transform, and pixels begin to accumulate. In the next phase, all reproduced pages are scanned. Software is written to analyze each pixel on every page, creating a 3-D model (the model shows the copies as if all the pages were lying in a stack and the parts which are not touched by ink are cut off). The model represents the overall transformation of the text from the first to the last page and shows the dialogue between each copy and its previous/next instance. In the last phase, this virtual model is brought back into the physical space.

The experience of the photocopy process and the creation of the virtual model build the conceptual basis for the sculpture. The work contains ten layers, each printed with one page from the original 200 pages, representing the 3-D virtual model. The layers are hung from a steel structure with an offset of one inch – the gaps representing the 190 absent pages. A linear light source - imitating the movement of the photocopy machine - is installed below the structure. Activated, the text fragments of each layer cast their shadow on the following layer and the sculpture continues to recreate new copies, always referring to the original sheet of paper.

dimensions: 28“ x 18“ x 16“