Enchanting Propaganda focuses on the world of retail where imagery is intentionally designed to create the myth of a consumer paradise and where materialistic desires are fueled by implied promises of elevated social status and a more glamorous lifestyle.
Years ago, I watched friends fawn over and eventually purchase high-end handbags. I had no desire to own an expensive handbag, yet I felt very uncomfortable and anxious. Enchanting Propaganda reflects how savvy marketing and societal pressure can make me, and many others, believe we should desire luxury products.
I left without a handbag that day, reminded that happiness and well-being can never be bought. Today, a growing number of people find themselves spellbound, in a spiral of consumerism, and unable to escape the cycle of purchasing more and more in a vain attempt to achieve both.
Retail imagery and marketing have much in common with The Wizard of Oz where futuristic promises are nothing more than dazzling illusions. Neither have the power to grant wishes and both rely upon ‘magic’ to create a beautiful façade. The ultimate revelation is that true value lies not in possessions, but in the heart, mind, and courage of the individual.
An excerpt from this series received the Pacific New Media Portfolio Award as part of the Contemporary Photography in Hawai’i 2021 exhibition.
