In photography, exposure refers to the process of exposing a photosensitive surface to the action of light or other electromagnetic radiation. Exposure also denotes the action of bringing something to public notice, the condition of being exposed to the attention of the general public—often referred to as publicity. Furthermore, exposure can describe the manner or degree to which anything is exposed, particularly regarding atmospheric conditions or risk. An exposure can also be a presentation or disclosure to view.

WORDS’ EXPOSURES is a collection of mostly found words, compiled on index cards, that is both objective and subjective. Like a photographer with a camera hunting for appealing images, I have fixed words on light-sensitive paper and through the means of cyanotype that I find astounding, that convey magic rather than just general meaning. I have made literal and metaphorical exposures of words that I have observed and collected from my own (or from others’ addresses to me), misreadings and mistakes, as well as from scientific articles, grammar books, dictionaries, as well as descriptions of the city’s buildings and shops. These words tell a personal story of reading and learning simultaneously, stemming from an innermost admiration for grammar, vocabulary, syntax, and semantics, extending to poetry and literature. I cannot help but mention the significant impact Lydia Davis has had on me, revealing to my eyes all the pleasures of the Surrealists, especially Michel Leiris, whose “Glossaire j’y serre mes glosses” is a true breakdown of language components that rearranges meaning through sound anew.