Saturday Safari
2017
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Saturday Safari is a series of large format photographs documenting the temporary existence of sculptures created using clothing and accessories “borrowed” from online retailers and returned under their 28-day free returns policy. These temporary sculptures imitate totems of the art market and mimic the early business model of online retailer ASOS (an acronym for 'As Seen on Screen'), who copied celebrity’s outfits, making their look accessible to everyday consumers.
Although my images borrow from languages of advertising, they were staged in my bedroom in a shared flat, using the furniture which came with the flat as props. The photographs are accompanied by vinyl lettered descriptions detailing the transactions through which their material components were acquired, and alluding to a return to purpose (or for a refund) after the works were disassembled.
The titles ponder strategies people use to advance towards their version of success. There’s 'Collateral Flattery', 'Slip-stream Dream', and 'Blue-sky Ballerina'. The work after which the series takes its name, ‘Saturday Safari’, refers to weekend rituals like trips around the shops and gallery previews as pack activities – watch and be watched, consume or be consumed.
'Saturday Safari' was exhibited in Glasgow Project Room in 2017.