Debra Schultz | it’s not just me, it’s everybody

×

Expand

Debra Schultz

(courtesy of the Gallery)

I started this ongoing project wanting to explore individual differences through similarities. An obsession started with the concept of individuality, what does it mean? What is the impact it has on our society?  Like the yellow background (of the paintings) Individuality has a polarity that is both toxic and positive.  At my most cynical I believe individuality is sold to us, nothing but attaching our identity to the last thing we purchased. At my most positive I believe individuality is a representation of our true selves. When Individuality is the norm, does it become conformity? There is no right or wrong. The truth is we are all different and all the same.

I made several garments for each person to wear, all in the same print. A bucket hat, a raincoat, a motorcycle jacket, a ruffled blouse, and a turtleneck. I wanted to bring each individual into the all consuming world of my paintings. I dressed each person in the garments I felt most suited them, then asked them to pose with their hands, In most cases the first shot I took was used as I felt it was the most authentic.

Debra Schultz: A communist consumerist individualist who wants to portray the absurdity of the consumerist individualist profit driven society we are all wired to desire