"Consumerist
culture:
by the frame"
A deep-dive exploration of consumerist themes in pop culture.
"The 'High Fashion' (bottom) series displays a critique at the fanciest level, representing the physical binding of consumerism using focal length as a satirical lens. As I began to work with the model, we recognized an interesting perspective using a 16mm lens made for a 1.6x crop camera adapted onto a full frame camera. The result was an almost comically wide angle and extreme natural vignette that set the tone for the remainder of the series."
"'I NEED IT' (right) focuses on just that, keeping things you don’t need. Typically these items are things that you buy because you need it or want it, then hold on to it out of guilt. To finish the piece, I photoshopped an overlay taken from a camcorder, adding to the retro theme."
"'THIS COULD BE YOU' (bottom right) utilizes traits from 80s print ads with postmodern complexion in a satirical advertisement. Continuing with the 80s/90s style, a popular form of advertising during the time period was print ads. The Futura font was first popularized on the Apollo 11 space mission, and is a symbol of the American dream. The copy focuses on belittling the consumer pushing them into purchasing products they never actually need."
"'FADED SCREEN PRINT (bottom left)' and 'THINGS MATTER (bottom right)' showcases artists who have portrayed the subject of consumerism. Starting with a series of photos of non-essential items in my life, I integrated techniques of both Barbara Kruger and Andy Warhol to strip away the value of each photo and focus on the bigger picture."
"'NOT ABOUT THE MONEY' (left) centers on the hypocrisy of artists. Inspired by Banksy’s destruction of his own piece, the label/tag featured in the piece represents artists' creation of pieces that defines certain ideas and ideals, only for their behavior to contradict the work. The piece also pays homage to the late Virgil Abloh, a designer who consistently questioned design, both of products and society itself."
"The 'INFORMING THE PEOPLE' series highlights an analysis of consumerist entanglements into popular music. I replicated the look of a vinyl album, playing along the artistic style of the portfolio. The entire text is lowercase and bland, emphasizing the inattention that we give to our music. However, once the evidence is highlighted, the message is revealed."
About the Artist: Alex Lucier is a high school student living in Massachusetts. His work reflects his world, sharing his perspective on what surrounds him with who surrounds him. In his small amount of free time, he enjoys challenging himself to create things beyond his own vivid imagination. Follow his work - @alexjlucier.