New Cockaigne – A History of Doubles

“...the imperfections make the difference, which is as between the rephotographed photographs of the early 1980s along with the appropriated object qua Duchamp, versus the hidden secret that begs to be discovered in the imperfect double.” — Christopher Eamon

 In 1872, European explorers arrived at what is known today as New Cockaigne. These early settlers brought vestiges of home through architecture and planning. Memories of greater cities manifested themselves in government buildings, parks, and streetscapes. Copies, doppelgängers, shadows, echoes, stand-ins, imposters, imitators, and the attempt toward hyperrealism populate New Cockaigne as a means of reminiscence and attraction. The result: a city endlessly collecting monuments.

Through the historical survey of this city, A History of Doubles is a study of the copies used in contemporary cityscapes and the nuances resulting in their (mis)appropriation.