Profession (Bomb Disposal Technician) 3 Channel Video Installation 2013


The Profession series is a deeper investigation into the jobs and roles that people do. Why does somebody choose the job they are in and what are the stories that come along with certain professions. Themes and monumental moments in life change the paths of people and steer them into a certain field.
Profession (Bomb Disposal Technician) is a portrait of some of the people who do this job. The actual people I interviewed did not want to be recorded nor did they want their voices recorded and their identity known. Therefore I wrote I script based on the conversations and cast actors/actresses to play the role based on some similarities between the actual people and the trained actors/actress. Because of the secretive nature and protection of identity, this dictated that the characters be back lit and shown in silhouette (a recognizable device for showing undercover people in media). The characters all perform the same script but their distinct persona changes each reading and there is a different understanding if someone from North Ireland does this job or a young woman from the deep south of the USA. By minimizing the human appearance the concentration remains on the subject and why this particular occupation.
These videos work with cinematic reality and the tropes of journalism and questioning stereotypical representation.