SPACE AVAILABLE

07.25—07.30.2017
Ryugaheon Gallery
Seoul, Korea

"Space Available" is a combination of "Closed for Business" and "Production Infinity" and consists of 22 images representative of both collections. Both collections remind us of the dilemma of the commercial image and its impact on contemporary capitalist society.

Showing them together maximizes the contrast between consumption and the social costs of globalized labor. "Closed on Business" is a documentary photographic record of the similarities found in different stores. Over the course of two years, I photographed empty storefronts, gas stations, and restaurants. The geographical setting is Rhode Island, a state in the southeastern United States. Typical, monotonous, and geographically unremarkable structures were photographed for a long time, and the buildings documented are nothing special. The ubiquity of these "undesigned" things is a clear indication of economic ups and downs. Once stable neighborhood storefronts were left empty as the American economy was replaced by outsourcing and growing international corporations. During the two years I documented this work, the 2016 U.S. presidential election continued. The photographs also capture the anxiety and concern that Americans have about the global economy. The work is an honest record of what society replaces, fails, and leaves behind.

"Production Infinity" is a digitally stitched together photograph that reflects the visual effects utilized by stores like CVS, Costco, 7-Eleven, and Wal-mart. In photographic terms, the camera works as a tool of reproduction, reflecting and replicating reality. Mirrors are used to create an illusion of space, a distorted perspective, and an extension of size. Both cameras and mirrors can be found in any store. Cameras are used for surveillance, and mirrors are used to deceive consumers by expanding their perception of space and making them forget their immediate reality.