Frank Harrell -
fromThe Digital Indifference of the Bourgeoisie 90210 - Man with Phone
Artist Statement
Frank Harrell’s The Digital Indifference of the Bourgeoisie celebrates quiet and unnoticed moments on and aournd the most famous street in Beverly Hills. Rodeo Drive, the street, and 90210, the zip code, are destinations more often associated with photos of celebrities shopping at Prada or Cartier, but Frank manages to capture the ordinary and the mundane in a world that that seeks the spotlight.
The Digital Indifference of the Bourgeoisie began as innocent documentation of ironic juxtapositions between passersby and shop windows. Of late, his work has evolved into an analysis of subconscious evidence of a drift towards totalitarian government. While certainly not explicitly led by technology, technology is a willing accomplice.
Since the 9/11 attacks, personal communications blossomed, bringing Social Networking with it. Facebook, Twitter, texts, etc. allow us to communicate instantly and in ways never imagined. We feel more connected but is it an illusion?
Biography
Growing up in Washington, DC gave Frank Harrell early and ample access to all types of art. There were field trips to the National Gallery and Smithsonian Institution beginning in grade school, but it was during summer months when his father helped open his eyes to the visual world.
“He would bring me to his office near the Mall. After introducing me to co-workers, he’d give me a few dollars, tell me not to talk to strangers and shoo me away to The National Gallery of Art, the Freer, The Smithsonian, The Capital, Supreme Court etc.. During one such summer excursion I also discovered the camera stores on 7th St.”
It was through an early love of photography that he began to see the world in a more structured way. Influenced by Film Noir, early black and white television and the traditional darkroom eventually led Frank to The London Film School, after which he began working on corporate programming and commercials, eventually settling in Los Angeles as an independent cinematographer/videographer.
Since 1996, Frank Harrell has worked almost exclusively in Information Technology and Security, but he continues to explore the world in black and white, navigating the digital waters, and hopes to return to the darkroom when time permits. And no, he doesn't have a Facebook account.
The Digital Indifference of the Bourgeoisie: Archval Pigment Prints- editions of 10.
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