A CLOUD OF DUST
(2011 / 2018)
A Cloud of Dust is a wall installation consisting of four panels, each contributing to a unified composition that explores the interplay between emptying and filling the image. The work originates from a photograph taken with an 8x10 plate camera outside a quarry along the Green Line—an invisible border between Israel and the West Bank. The trucks transporting building materials stir up dust, which, while not apparent, subtly signifies the presence of this invisible border.
The dust creates a backdrop that obscures the distant details of the landscape, emptying the image of clarity and context. This work also draws inspiration from Albrecht Dürer’s watercolor, The Great Piece of Turf (1503), reflecting on the notion of ‘a study of nature.’ It highlights the challenges of conducting such studies in a conflict-ridden environment where the natural landscape is continually disrupted.
By breaking the image into four panels, the installation introduces a dynamic movement and composition within the exhibition space, reimagining the way the dust interacts with the natural environment. The dust functions as both a filter and a backdrop, creating a "natural studio" effect that emphasizes the tension between nature and the constructed environment.