The Ineffable Conversation (1974-2012) originated as an open-ended collaboration with Stan Sharshal almost 40 years ago. The piece consists of six black and white photographs of Talley and Sharshal in an apparently animated but mute conversation. Talley printed the photographs and passed them to Sharshal who hand-colored some elements in the images and returned them to Talley. The two discussed potential methods of completing the piece, including individually- or group-framed wall display, limited edition postcards, or some type of unlimited printed edition. Over the years, the piece was discussed occasionally, but never completed. Sharshal died in 1992 and the images languished in Talley’s archives. The advent of print on demand books seemed to afford a good form for the project since Sharshal had often funded his art making by working as a commercial printer.
The Ineffable Conversation Video Overview