Exposition
Even with the digital advances of the 21st century, posters are still used to influence our behaviour and allegiances. Every possible strategy is deployed to sell us a message, including seduction, shock, humour, statistics, commands and repetition. A cornerstone of both corporate and political branding, posters are also the medium of choice for protest and dissent. All jostling for attention in the same public sphere, these ubiquitous artworks continue to shape popular opinion and alter our urban landscape.
The public sphere is dominated by posters that serve commercial and political interests. In his project ‘Abandon Your Dreams’, Rab Harling questions consumerism. By seeking out empty white spaces usually occupied by billboards, he accentuates the omnipresence of images and the power of those who control their distribution.
In the words of the artist:
My photographic project does not look to an imaginary future, but looks to re-imagine the present, from our own perspective. Can an ideology ever exist that can re-position the citizen at the centre of an altruistic society?
Rab Harling