This week I chose Brian Ulrich (http://notifbutwhen.com/projects/copia/retail/) as my artist to emulate.
From his Copia series, I tried to reflect some of his subject matter found in both 'Retail' and 'Dark Stores'.Mr. Ulrich has been internationally recognized for his work regarding his portrayal of consumer purchasing and the impact it has on us as a society via political, social, economical and personal attitudes. The fact he uses his camera to illustrate the common excess we indulge in without apparent thought, and the potential phsycological ramifications of those behaviors is very interesting.
If society is honest with itself on a whole, most of us would find ourselves at least somewhat wasteful and indulgent. It can be very humbling to think of alternate ways to use discretionary income if one is so inclined.
Personally, I found his series thought provoking and a good follow up of some of the images we discussed in class last week.
My first image is an obvious one. Will any harm come to someone if they don't get their nails done? How much does it truly improve a persons quality of life? Do the customers know the dangers of inhaling the various chemicals and dust particles of acrylic compound?
Image two is taken in a Starbucks cafe'. The elderly man sitting across the store was so engrossed in his book and coffee, he was not aware someone was photographing him.
Images three and four are somewhat related, even if they are in separate locations. The top image, represents a family run grocery store in a rural location. When the Food Lion grocery moved to the town, this store went under. In an ironic twist, the Food Lion now faces predominantly empty isles with the opening of a WalMart Super center in the same town. Perhaps people need more cereals to choose from?
The fifth image was taken at Macy's department store. The bright lights, hundreds of shoes, purses, and other accessories overwhelmingly displayed among rows of chairs emphasizes an overwhelming array of choices and indulgences.
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