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Steve Schofield and The Land of the Free
Since I was on a plane on the 4th of July, and because Apple releases the new iphone today, I thought I’d do a little nod to Americana and all th...
Since I was on a plane on the 4th of July, and because Apple releases the new iphone today, I thought I’d do a little nod to Americana and all things consumer and awesome. Actually, it’s Steve Schofield’s nod, in his project The Land of the Free. Hint: He’s a Brit.
From his statement:
“My practice is concerned with exploring the fascination that the
British public has with American popular culture and the sub-cultural
world of fandom. In the images, I have shown people in their own homes
and environments wearing costumes that they would be dressed in to
attend events with other like-minded individuals. It seeks to offer a
glimpse into seemingly ordinary lives of my subjects and allows the
private to become public. The work hints at the depth of people’s
fantasies and the methods they employ to adopt this culture as part of
their own lifestyle as a means of escapism.
The work makes a
political reference to globalization and America’s ongoing ability to
infiltrate all cultures via various channels of media. Much of daily
life is influenced by ‘Americanisms’ whether through language, food or
fashion, which can often be traced back to music videos, the Hollywood
film industry, advertising and American sitcoms.”
If I were to dress up like so, it would be as Odo from Deep Space Nine. ‘Cause everyone loves a shapeshifter. And you?