interstice [ in-tur-stis ]
noun
1. an intervening space.2. a small or narrow space or interval between things or parts, especially when one of a series of alternating uniform spaces and parts:the interstices between the slats of a fence.3. Roman Catholic Church. the interval of time that must elapse, as required by canon law, before promotion to a higher degree of orders.4. an interval of time. This essay examines forms of toxicity located at interstitial places, broadly conceived. Interstitial spaces are those located between structures: in the body, these are the spaces left forgotten until they are met with excess of fluid or aberrant cellular activity; in architecture, these are the spaces built into hospitals and laboratories to accommodate physical infrastructure; interstitial art is that which is situated between genres. The interstitial defies convention and representation. Toxics are characterized by their pervasiveness, their permeability, their ability to lurk in these in-between places. These images look to the interstitial--bodily, architecturally, temporally, conceptually--in order to illustrate how the challenge of pinning down place produces particular challenges in apprehending military toxic exposures.
