Thomas Brown: Reality Versus Illusion
Product photography is a tricky business. The photographer, more often than not, is commissioned to make an object look as good as possible. The concept of the McDonald’s burger is perfect: an imperfect, hastily put-together creation is made to look like a work of classical art. The reality can sometimes not match up with the ideal. But Thomas Brown takes the idea of product photography and turns it on its head, by not making the product simply look good, but be unforgettable.
Brown was born in Aylesbury, UK, in 1981. Fast forward many years, and he has graduated from The Arts Institute in Bournemouth and spent time working in-house at Condé Nast. From here, he has expanded his photographic vocabulary to other areas, but his work is still shown in a vast number of magazines such as Wallpaper*, Case da Abitare and Russian Vogue.
But it is his product photography, for brands such as Mr Porter, which sets him apart. An image series titled Collide showcases Brown’s penchant for altered perspectives. A ring of fragrances are reflected and lit, with mirrors used to create kaleidoscope-like effects. The lighting adds softness and aids in creating the illusion, the arrangement of the products constructing a sense of mystery.
Brown truly steps into his own photographic personality with his personal work. The photographer uses this space to let him imagination roam free. Some work is inherently simple; some is complex and intricately structured.
A 2012 photo essay, entitled Meteors, tells us two things about Brown. The first, we already know: he is an exceptional photographer. The second is far more telling.
“With stories of doom and destruction surfacing in back pages of the tabloid press, the Mayan’s prediction that 2012 was the year it would all go tits up and more serious warnings of double dip recession, I wanted to show there is no point dwelling on things beyond our control.” he says.
This devil-may-care attitude towards existence reflects both an existential attitude towards life, and an admittance that we may as well have fun, as we never know when it will all come crashing down. This sense of light-hearted fun certainly runs through all his work, from product photos to personal work.
With the Meteors collection, the objects are not giant slabs of rock about to annihilate Earth; they are scrunched up pieces of paper, as harmless as an infant. While Pop Pop Bang – a collaboration with Anna Burns – sees Brown challenge the American context of B movies within the British landscape. An installation of umbrellas crafted from digitally printed fabric is used to generate imagery, with the result developed into a short film.
In Brown’s hands, product photography becomes a joy and a true art form. And if scrunched up pieces of paper decide to fall from the sky one day, we certainly now know who to turn to first.
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