Trina Fernandez
I Wrote A Letter and Then Turned It Into Art Instead of Giving It To You Sorry
Laser Print on Computer Paper, Tape

Inspiration Object: Manuscript from Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Paul, Mdina, Malta, parish records, 1500 - 2000 (courtesy of HMML)
Inspiration Object:  manuscript from Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Paul, Mdina, Malta, parish records, 1500 - 2000

I Wrote A Letter and Then Turned It Into Art Instead of Giving It To You Sorry
I Wrote A Letter and Then Turned It Into Art Instead of Giving It To You Sorry


I was immediately drawn to this document in the HMML archive because of the way it looked. Low contrast, black and white, it looked more like an organism under a microscope than it did a document. Finding out this record was a scan of a microfiche, I began thinking about the different ways we document our records. Working with a letter that I never sent, I questioned the importance of keeping these things, archived 12 ways, this letter was scanned, photographed, laundered, carried, kept, amongst other ways, and ultimately only really lives in the words I never shared.


Artist Statement

Using the viewer as the camera, I approach the photograph through installation. By building and creating the lies I believe about myself, often stemming from a place of fear, shame, and loneliness, I hope to start a conversation with the viewer on the importance of honesty through vulnerability.


While the work can take different forms, sometimes sculptural, written, or even found, the work is a reflection of my feelings, and is documented and photographed. Through the installation of these images, I offer the viewer a space to experience the larger picture. A chance to walk through these emotions, as the piece becomes a collage of our current feelings, past memories, and a desire to connect to each other in the present, and to show you that together, we’re all not so bad.