Thomas Wrede

Image copyright Thomas Wrede

I can't remember where, but I recently read a comment left on a blog where the person said something like; Taking photographs of adverts was a cop out, because the advert was a creation by someone else. I do remember at the time thinking what a stupid comment it was. Going by that logic there would be nothing designed by man that you could photograph. We would have to only photograph nature, landscapes people etc, and I have always found lampposts far more interesting than trees, cities more interesting than the woods and how the hell can you photograph a city without including at least some adverts?

Which brings me to the series Manhattan/Picture Worlds by Thomas Wrede. The posters here are beautifully photographed as part of the cityscape. The adverts dominating the scene but at the same time blending effortlessly. Advertising is of course a huge part of modern life as is capitalism and it's over powering presence. As Martin Parr said," Capitalism should be the new front line for photographers".

The series Manhattan/Picture Worlds is for me is one interesting and arresting way of standing on that front line.