Cost of Living (Aleyda) By Josh Kline

To make Cost of Living (2014) and other works in this series, Josh Kline interviewed workers – janitorial staff and package delivers – and then made casts of their body parts that they used to complete their daily tasks. In this case, he spoke with the housekeeper named Aleyda, who worked at the Rivington Hotel.

The artist created each element of the sculptural assemblage using a 3-D printer. The results call attention to the laboring bodies of an often invisible work force, and offer a grim reminder that these workers’ humanity is often valued less than the tools they use to complete their job. Cost of Living (Aleyda) reflects what the artist has described as “the relentless push to squeeze more productivity out of workers – turning people into reliable, always–on office appliances.”

Photographed in the Whitney Museum of American Art in Manhattan.