|
|
| Rituals of Consumerism |
|
|
|
by Dan McKean - 18 May, 2007
Rituals of Consumerismby Dan McKean BRIAN ULRICH: COPIA Chicago-based artist Brian Ulrich documents the shopping habits of Americans in his incisive photographic series Copia. The photographs in this ongoing project are taken in big-box retail stores such as Target or Wal-Mart using a medium-format film camera with a waist-level viewfinder. In Ulrich's first solo exhibition at MCASD he presents 14 large-scale prints of the series. While many of the works capture the efficient artificiality of our shopping environments, others evidence the effects of consumerism on those who participate in its rituals of consumption. Ulrich sees the series as an exercise in social anthropology that documents common conditioned behavior and examines its political implications. Yet, the images are also revealing for the sense of familiarity and empathy they elicit in each of us, bringing attention to our role in generating and maintaining a culture of over-consumption and waste.
Humph. A picture of spilled milk on a 7-11 floor in Kenosha, Wisconsin just isn't interesting, not even when juxtaposed excitingly with colorful pallets of soft drinks. Neither are pictures of checkout lanes at Target, or teenaged girls in Scotland looking at makeup choices (despite the "American" in the description, several of the pictures were taken in Edinburgh), or someone checking out the milk containers in the dairy section--though it did bring flashbacks to the Dude in The Big Lebowski. So I thought--what could I do to put on a counter show that explored the same topics, but in opposition? And it dawned on me--I'd put together a show that explored the consumerist world of art. People at pretentious gallery openings, delicately pinching their canapes. Stuffy suited patrons leaning and considering some objet d'art and discreetly glancing at the price tags and the tiny colored "SOLD" dots. A broken piece of art on the floor (it feel off its pedestal!), juxtaposed excitingly with extravagant colorful canvasses. Bland boring art adorning the lobby of a spectacular corporate building. Black turtlenecked artists with pretty colorful necklaces aloofly surveying their customers. I could even call the show the same--"Rituals of Consumerism". But contentiousness aside, I did think: why are artists so obsessed with critiquing consumerism? Do they not consume themselves? Why aren't they violently burning down the museum shops, filled with silly expensive consumerist doodads? A $150 trash can? Please. There was no desire in these pictures we saw, and there was even loathing that people have so much choice--so many lanes to choose from to check out at Target! So many soft drink varieties to try! So many lipstick colors! Yet when it comes right down to it, which is worse consumer choice--buying a 24 pack of soda for $10 (seven different flavors on sale this week!), or buying that $150 trash can (one choice from our Museum Collection(tm))? Yeah, most Americans (and Scots) know that we buy stuff, sometimes to excess. So what? We don't feel guilty for having choices. That was the only thing open in the museum too--14 pictures. They were doing some radical reinstallation work, so every other gallery was closed. And it was free Tuesday at the museum, too, so we felt like we totally were art scammers. Or perhaps consumers that got something for nothing. Always a good deal. Dan says, "I like gardening and hiking and
traveling, and rugby, but I don't play much anymore. I currently
live on a little block of land about 20 miles east of Seattle
with two cats and one very special bear.
I also like political issues, and from time to time may rant--I
can express some opinions pretty strongly. That doesn't mean
that I won't respect yours."
|
|
