In each of these three books the three words Leaves, Spades, and Pikes are repeats over a series of archival photographs. These three words reference the transformation of spades playing cards suits visuals from German Leaves to French Pikes to English Spades. All three words are connected through themes of territory, borders, movement, and conflict from a distance.
Leaves, Spades and Pikes play off the idiomatic expression to “leaf through a book”. With the rhythmic repetition of the three words and the visual pacing of the photographs from calm to chaotic the reader is encouraged to accelerate their reading of the books.
