When I first moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, one of the first things I noticed in the city were these wooden telephone poles covered in staples (as well as metal poles covered in old packaging tape and fliers). A lot of these poles were so completely covered in staples that the actual pole can no longer even be seen. They appear instead as old rusty pillars of metal, their actual wooden bodies sometimes only apparent high out of reach of staplers – and flier posters have managed to get the staples pretty high!

The poles intrigue me in their placement in a modern pristine setting, a reminder of old traditional methods of communication juxtaposed with our sleek cell phones and laptops. Out current ability to send information at what seems like the speed of light throws our older communications into a rather unflattering light. Yet I find that these unique, chaotic, ragged bulletin boards speak more to being human. What I also find interesting about the poles is that, in their settings, they appear ugly and small. Oftentimes, students volunteering go around town removing staples in these poles. These interesting entities from the past are, like many old buildings or artifacts, removed because they interfere with a skyline of hard lines and shiny glass.

Project completed December 2009
10 Large format silver gelatin prints