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Lot Essay
Christopher Williams is celebrated for his photographic investigations into contemporary consumer society. His choreographed hyper-real photographs frequently mimic the seductive sheen of advertorial imagery; yet where advertisements aim to sell, Christopher Williams seeks to expose, and by extension shatter, the commercial illusion of beauty and flawless perfection. Subtly revealing the intricate processes behind staging such images, Williams’ photographic works provide a compelling critique of a world overloaded by images, where posters, billboards, television and the Internet function as agents of spectacle and allure.
The camera itself, as the primary enabler of such forms of visual communication, is one of Williams’ most pertinent subjects. In photographs such as Nikkon W300 mm f/5.6 with no. 3 shutter 1:5.6 product Aperture f/64 Product Number 1320 NAS Serial Number 780612 Large Format Camera Lens. Photography bythe Douglas M. Parker Studio, Glendale, California, August 2, 2005, (Lot 1) and Kiev Mc Arsat (Zodiak-9) 30 mm f3.5 1:3.5 product Aperture f/3.5 Serial number 870701 Medium format camera lens, Douglas M. Parker Studio, Glendale, California, August 4 2005 (Lot 3), Williams takes the camera lense as subject matter, with sterile precision. Juxtaposed against a white background, the two images read like scientific studies rendered in meticulous detail, also echoed in the protracted titles of the works themselves which painstakingly relay the product’s genetic make up, from shutter speed to serial number. In both works, the objects’ shadows have been artificially removed, placing all emphasis on the tactile quality of the textured plastic, the gleam of the glass lens, and the measurements inscribed in white around the circumference of the zoom ring. Totem-like, these self-reflexive images dispel the magic of their photographed mimicry: they offer a homage to the oft overlooked camera, whilst simultaneously undermining the illusions that photography is so adept at creating.
The camera itself, as the primary enabler of such forms of visual communication, is one of Williams’ most pertinent subjects. In photographs such as Nikkon W300 mm f/5.6 with no. 3 shutter 1:5.6 product Aperture f/64 Product Number 1320 NAS Serial Number 780612 Large Format Camera Lens. Photography bythe Douglas M. Parker Studio, Glendale, California, August 2, 2005, (Lot 1) and Kiev Mc Arsat (Zodiak-9) 30 mm f3.5 1:3.5 product Aperture f/3.5 Serial number 870701 Medium format camera lens, Douglas M. Parker Studio, Glendale, California, August 4 2005 (Lot 3), Williams takes the camera lense as subject matter, with sterile precision. Juxtaposed against a white background, the two images read like scientific studies rendered in meticulous detail, also echoed in the protracted titles of the works themselves which painstakingly relay the product’s genetic make up, from shutter speed to serial number. In both works, the objects’ shadows have been artificially removed, placing all emphasis on the tactile quality of the textured plastic, the gleam of the glass lens, and the measurements inscribed in white around the circumference of the zoom ring. Totem-like, these self-reflexive images dispel the magic of their photographed mimicry: they offer a homage to the oft overlooked camera, whilst simultaneously undermining the illusions that photography is so adept at creating.