Thursday, October 15, 2009

ARTIST LECTURE A Selbe, 10.15.09 Brain Ulrich
















"Value City", Photography, Brian Ulrich, 2008
(woman with product) From Series "retail", Photography, Brain Ulrich, 2002

Brian Ulrich is a photographer who was at VCU yesterday giving a lecture about his work. His work revolves around an idea of "consumer- dominated culture." I don't think I truely understand because I don't want to admit that I am one of those "therapy" shoppers. Ulrich talked about how people use shopping as compensation for something or to make themselves feel better. People get so used to this culture of constantly buying things and seeing stores and advertisements telling us to buy things. It seems to become a routine for people to shop whether they need anything or not.
The photography of the woman buying flowers illustrates the idea of going through the "routine" perfectly. It is as if she isn't looking at or thinking about the flowers, but she is buying them because of habit.
He carries out this them of a shopping culture through a few different series of thrift stores, retail spaces and abandoned stores.

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