Chris Larson: The Residue of Labor

Upon entering Chris Larson’s impressive exhibition, The Residue of Labor, one was immediately enveloped in the percussive din of sewing machines, their irregular rhythms projected from a grid of vintage speakers suspended within a standing wood frame. The speakers originally broadcast country music to some 500 employees who once worked in a now-defunct garment factory in Smithville, Tennessee, that produced clothing for such brands as Burberry and Ralph Lauren until production moved offshore during the 1990s. Today, they are among the many artifacts recovered from the abandoned factory then recast by Larson in this expansive show of 55 works, including photographs, videos, drawings, paintings, sculptures, and installations, that address the politics (and sometimes poetics) of labor through measurements of time.

Full piece: