This is not a camera
Holmes stereoviewer C-41 digital images
2012-2013

Sylvia has photographed film cameras that she owns with the intention of utilizing 'advertising' conventions as found on online sales sites such as e-Bay.  Like many online sale sites, her product image is profiled in recto, verso, and side views. Whilst adopting these image conventions to guide the artwork, Sylvia's camera photos have been produced as diptych ('stereo') image cards for gallery visitors.

By playing with the diptych arrangement, the images do not merely become a snapshot of a particular viewpoint, for instance a 'camera front,' but they transform into 3D virtual forms when examined through a stereo-viewer.

The project's title conceptually challenges the gallery visitor both in terms of what is represented and what is not, and importantly what is experienced. In producing a 'virtualized' cameras series, the artwork does not reside as one would anticipate; that is simply as mere artifacts of sales images, but rather they become independent multi-dimensional artworks to explore as contemporary artifacts.

REVIEWS

Travis, Rebecca.  "The only thing that’s changed is everything" feature article in the 2016 Summer edition of Scottish Society for the History of Photography  https://web.archive.org/web/20180902212635/http://sshop.org.uk/project/rebecca-travis/

2014
Travis, Rebecca. “Sylvia Grace Borda: Camera Histories” in Reviews: Photomonitor, UK. January 27, 2014
https://photomonitor.co.uk/exhibition/sylvia-grace-borda-camera-histories/

“Art in Scotland TV channel feature: Sylvia Grace Borda Camera Histories – Artist interview” produced by Summerhall TV, Dec 29, 2013 http://www.artinscotland.tv/2013/sylvia-grace-borda-camera-histories/

Artist video interview (December 5, 2013) with Christiane Monarchi, editor of PhotoMonitor Magazine about 'Cameras and Watercolour sunset' series and other works presented in the exhibition 'Camera Histories' presented at Street Level Photoworks Gallery, Glasgow, Scotland (November 23, 2013 - February 2, 2014).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jo7lxuQ-KU
 

Installation photograph taken by Iseult Timmermans, Street Level Gallery 2013