The idea to cut an actual Bible was generated while considering what it means for any book to be redacted or misinterpreted.
In this work, a King James version of the Bible is cut as a gesture towards the omissions of 'Parts of the Holy Bible, selected for the use of the Negro Slaves, in the British West-India Islands', which was originally published in 1807. Unlike other missionary bibles, the Slave Bible’s British publishers deliberately removed almost 90% of the book - basically any passage that could inspire hope for liberation. Instead, they emphasized portions that justified and fortified the system of slavery vital to the Empire. In the Renovations exhibit at the Carroll Mansion, a video played the 2 ½ hour performance of Omission. The artefact (the mangled book) was on display as two sections (what was and wasn't omitted from the slave bible) for visitors to leaf through.
