Brian Ulrich

       Images by Brian Ulrich.

 In his series titled Copia, Ulrich examines the American culture of over-consumption and mass production. Ulrich places the viewer in the place of the consumer, which allows the viewer to experience the effect of a departure from intimate local business and an increased reliance on big-business retail stores. Consumption becomes a ritual that takes little thought or self-evaluation. The process of consumption is made so easy, that the general public no longer needs to exert any effort. Consumption is mechanized. Faced with a choice, the consumer chooses the cheapest soda or the shortest line, because they all lead to the same de-humanizing end-point. Through his photos, Ulrich draws attention to economic, social, and political implications of our consumer-driven culture.