Gallery Talk with Brian Ulrich at VCU Anderson Gallery January 31, 2013

Brian Ulrich
January 18-March 10

Copia—Retail, Thrift and Dark Stores, 2001-2011
Close Out: Retail Relics and Ephemera

This exhibition features 58 color photographs from Brian Ulrich’s Copia series (2001-2011), a three-part project that confronts viewers with an in-depth examination of consumerism in American culture. Initially using a handheld camera with the view finder at waist level, Ulrich remained anonymous while documenting shoppers engrossed in navigating the abundance of goods found in vast enclosed malls and big box stores.

The second phase focuses on thrift stores, the collecting places for discarded and unwanted consumer products, yet a primary destination for a growing segment of the United State’s population.

The concluding group features haunting images of the impact of the 2008 financial crisis, highlighted by the exteriors and interiors of dark stores, ghost boxes, and dead malls.

Official Website: http://arts.vcu.edu/andersongallery/exhibitions/brian-ulrich-copia-retail-thrift-and-dark-stores-2001-2011/