Leaving the Hochstein last weekend we drove by Plymouth Photo. I was so surprised to see they were still in business. Joe used to be the best at knocking off passport photos and head shots for business people, actors, politicians, and especially aspiring models. I just assumed his business was swallowed up by the DIY digital machine. We still get head shots in the mail, more than ever actually, and I attribute that to the new parenthood model that sees exceptionalism in their offspring. I’ve taken to slicing the 8×10 heads in two and recombining them in mutant forms.
I was immediately attracted to Ann Oren’s video installation in the current “Me Pix” show at Rochester Contemporary. Like Andy Warhol’s “Screen Tests”, mentioned in yesterday’s post, Oren uses non actors as well as professional actors in her piece called “The Audition.” While it is interesting trying to determine the genuine from the fake as the models sell themselves the most interesting thing is how we squirm while watching them.
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