SORRY Hamilton (2005)

In the early 2000’s I began following the emerging media spectacle of public apologies coming from the mouths of CEOs, politicians, sports stars and others. Some of these apologies were of major historical significance while many were salacious in nature and of little public consequence. My work aimed to distinguish what was important from what was not in this blur of fleeting media moments.

I first began collecting newspaper apologies after finishing my dicertatcion on the topic of pain and peoples responses to it in 1999. In 2003, I was invited to be part of a publication at Gallery 101, however, I was told that I could only print 10% of a newspaper image without breaking copyright law. It turned out I could print just the mouths from my newspaper images without breaking this rule. 

Later, I received a production grant from the Daimon Artist Centre in Gatineau, QC, which included access to their digital printer and technical assistance. I bought a 44-inch wide roll of water colour paper and vowed to print on it as many apologizing mouths as this roll would allow. 

In 2005, I presented the resulting prints at MacMaster Museum of Art in a billboard style installation entitled Sorry.