The studio portrait, like other types of vernacular photography, deep social function eclipses its aesthetic value. The commercial aspects of these portraits inform the form, function and production of the portrait. While rarely considered aesthetic objects, these photographs adhere to a strict internal code.
The scripted nature of these portraits effectively cast individuals as allegorical types. The standardization characteristic of the studio portrait serves to eliminate idiosyncrasy and perpetuate ideals. The studio portrait serves as social currency, as it is a testament to the prosperity of the subject, not an expression of individuality.
I made the portraits in my photographic exhibition Free Sitting while working as a photographer at a commercial portrait studio inside a suburban mall in Columbus, OH. My employment served as fieldwork necessary for understanding the various stylistic and technical mannerisms of the genre. I reported to work and photographed customers. I scheduled appointments during my shifts at the portrait studio where my models would report as customers and request me as their photographer. They would then pay at the register with money I gave them.
The subjects in my portraits fail to be successfully imaged as the appropriate archetype. By breaking formal elements including pose, background, presentation they reveal the artifice behind their attempts. The commercial aspect of the studio is underscored in the final format of the portraits. By adapting the format of the uncut sheets of photographs sold to customers; my photographs make reference to the production, distribution and application of this branch of commercial photography. The subjects of my photographs are not the people depicted but the aesthetic construction and signification of social currency of the portrait itself.