Disrupting the Narrative
Abby Wicks
Abby Wicks’ editorial like photography creates the illusion of an attainable lifestyle through narratives that tap into our desires. Assisting on lifestyle shoots revealed the extent of photography's role in marketing an aspirational lifestyle that seems out of reach for many. By incorporating constructed personal touches and styling, Ikea presents an environment that fuels our belief in achieving that desired lifestyle. Through visual imagery, the viewers are promoted to question the authenticity and achievability of the lifestyles presented in advertising and editorial photography, while examining how consumer culture shapes our desires and purchasing decisions. With deliberate angles, recognisable tags, faux windows, and reflective surfaces, the work subtly reveals the origins of the images. By emulating editorial aesthetics, there is an impression of an aspirational lifestyle but these are disrupted by visual clues that encourage viewers to reconsider the attainability of the manufactured lifestyle and prompt them to ask different questions.
