Useful Photography #008
5 votesInnocence is truly relative as the images collected in Useful Photography #008 can testify. Humdrum scenes of chess playing, mucking out a horse’s stable or a job interview takes on supposedly sexual (but ultimately comical) overtones.
The innocence of these scenarios is supremely fake and the stories they portend are glaringly obvious to all but the very naive. Bad lighting, queasy color clashes, made-up models one photo frame away from bursting seamlessly out of their costumes, delivered to their dressing rooms two-sizes too small. It all adds up to the same story. It’s said that fantasy kills imagination. These fictional scenes suggest that, very shortly, nothing will be left for the imagination to hold onto.
The usefulness of this photography series could come from a number of angles. They set the scene for dishing the dirt. They build sexual tension in the viewer. They add a level of hope to the grime: the ordinariness of the scenes suggests that you, the viewer, could encounter this in your day-to-day life. However, one suspects that the usefulness is limited and basic. To achieve the desired result of basic personal sexual gratification supplied by people you have never met, you must first introduce them in the proper manner. It would be rude not to.
Facts & Figures
Mission Statement: Useful Photography is the generic name for the millions of diverse photos, which are used daily and with a purpose all of their own; practical photography that has a clear function and where the makers remain anonymous. It is these photos, when afforded a second glance that can reveal beauty beneath their surface. As soon as the images are lifted out of their context, they produce new insights into what is considered useful photography.
Founded: 2001
Based in: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Editors / Designers: Collected & edited by Hans Aarsman, Claudie de Cleen, Julian Germain, Erik Kessels, Hans van der Meer
Periodicity: Annual
Language: English
Format: 4C, 210 x 297 mm, 80 pages, soft cover
Circulation: 1000
Price: 20 €
Web: usefulphotography.com
Contact: kyra (at) kesselskramer.nl
Look inside!
Useful as well as interesting.