In “What Questions Do We Ask?” I highlight the importance of the shifting questions in the United States census. Questions reveal our interests, beliefs, and concerns. We ask questions on topics we feel are important, have some previous knowledge and want to elicit more information. In this work I reproduce U.S. census questions from 1790 to 2020. Questions are asked, in part, because their answers may influence government programs. By showing how census questions change over time, I create a condensed social history of the United States.
I arrange the questions by topic such as disability, race, language, technology, and getting to work. Individual pieces explore one topic and expose how the question changes over time. To make the information graphically compelling and to emphasize that these questions reflect American society, I overlay the questions onto an American flag motif. To visually indicate the passing of time, census forms from various eras serve as a background. Varieties of government typography mix with legible to elegant handwriting. Viewers make connections and begin to comprehend society’s ever-changing standards.
This work is a visual synopsis of U.S. history and conveys a sense that the past never goes away entirely and influences the present.
The photographs in this series are 22.5 x 33 inches archival pigment prints mounted on aluminum.
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All images © 2024 Gail Rebhan
