Jul 29

Jul 29 Surrealistic Uniform

In Kristian Kirk’s UNIFORMS, together with photographer Alexander Höllsberg, he explores the relationship between uniforms and their wearers, as well as our own perceptions and expectations of how they should function. The term comes from the Latin word uniformis meaning ”having only one form or shape.”

With uniform, there is no room for the unexpected or the uncanny. The visual signifier of associated labor becomes so strong that it surpasses the identity of a body, until the fabric turns into a second skin. We see a mechanic, we see a doctor, we see a student: we know not only what they do, but in many ways, unintentionally who they are. Our associations of normal with the uniform come from the comfort of automatically being able to categorize an individual.

What about the contradictions that could occur within this seemingly predictable environment? Is there an opportunity for dissent within the uniform? Can something so stable become surreal? How can we express ourselves within the parameters of everyday?

The uniform becomes the sculpture in the image, in this life. Big suit, big money, short tie and short life. No stylist, no makeup, not a fashion editorial but a real story of real people in real jobs.