Store Life 2004
Austin, TX

I am not entirely comfortable with the Photoshop work that has turned most of these store window images into "digital art" rather than photographs. The Andy Warhol screen print effect changes the signals radically, weakening the connection between the real word and the image, softening and disguising the commentary. The pictures are more readily taken as decorative rather than questioning or critcal - they have become too easy.

My first gallery sale was of one of these pictures. Three of them have hung in our entry hall for years; I too find them easy on the senses. First to be seen by visitors arriving through the front door they have garnered many compliments; but they are going to have to come down.

The source photographs were already ambiguous to begin with; blunted by the prettiness of the screen print manipulation, their questions may be lost altogether. Four years after posting the 'screen prints' on this site I have added a few of original photographs in an attempt to make clear that all of the images come from real store windows and not from my hand and imagination.


Click on the thumbnails below to see the full size image.


Copyright © 1998-2012 Mike Broadway
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