Steve Schofield - Land of the Free The Black Box Café 29 April – 09 May
Steve Schofield’s practice explores the fascination that the British public has with American popular culture and the sub-cultural world of fandom.
In his growing photographic series Land of the Free, Schofield shows people in their own homes wearing costumes that they would be dressed in to attend events and conventions. The work offers a glimpse into seemingly ordinary lives and allows the private to become public.
The work hints at the depth of people’s fantasies and the methods they employ to adopt this culture as part of their own lifestyle as a means of escapism. The work makes a political reference to globalisation and America’s ongoing ability to infiltrate all cultures via various channels of media.
By working in the individual’s homes and personal spaces, Schofield presents his sitters in their very British environments allowing the viewer to evaluate the juxtaposition of cultures which do not appear to sit comfortably with each other.
