              This series of photographs documents the dehumanization inherent in the conformity and greed of mass consumerism. These objects of desire, now left behind for nature to consume, speak of the inevitable violence in a society preoccupied with the status of coveted goods. The name of the label, partly camouflaged, exemplifies the insidious nature of branding.These images question the notion of how marginal people reclaim space and identity while probing our preconceptions of urban street culture. I have been photographing detritus for many years but the shot of the frost covered Helmut Lang T-shirt I found under the Burrard Bridge in Vancouver was the impetus for this series. How does a designer t-shirt worth several hundred dollars end up under a bridge? Both the beauty of the object and the narrative within it intrigued me, as my own brief experience with street culture in my youth has engendered a feeling of empathy in me. My intent is to not glorify it as the fashion industry has, but to speak to the depth and complexity of these issues. |
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MASTER PLAN, Sunfrie Canola Oil Medium format, Black and white film. |