Photography is wonderful, there is no doubting that. What makes photography different, however, is how it has the ability to tell a distinct story. Fine art photographer David Welch of Savannah, Georgia uses his skills to relay an important message: one of consumption. His project Material World is influenced by the Marxist concept of Objectification. According to Welch’s website, objectification “marks a transformative relationship between humankind and nature where individuals manifest their activities into materially existing forms.”
Welch believes that objects have the ability to communicate, that we give them meaning, and that we invest a cultural significance on said objects. Welch’s project Material World is that response to our “contemporary consumer milieu.” He photographs totems or naturally existing monuments that serve as a window into our consumer culture.
“The photographs speak of accumulation and materiality and aim to encourage debate about consumption and the ways in which we feel compelled to consume.”
