SHUTTERSTORY: ANTHROPOLOGIE OF ORDINARY OBJECTS

Anthropologie‘s displays put a new twist on the mundane: a multi-green hued fern creeping up the wall made out of twisted rubber bands and plastic bags, crystal ball sculptures glistening with rusty orange tones made out of plastic spoons and pink dresses constructed out of coffee filters.

Anthropologie may be your shopping haven, where you spend hours browsing for the newest addition to your ultra feminine hippie chic wardrobe, or it could just be that expensive store filled with impractical items like doily cardigans, “ocean” scented perfume and accessories with Portlandia’s “bird-on-it” acclaim.

So why does this high caliber store use ordinary objects like plastic spoons and paint cans to construct store displays? What a juxtaposition to the overall items sold in each store.

Anthro’s visual team uses everything from rubber bands to coffee filters to create innovative art. Most stores seem to follow the same theme for front displays, which is currently a symmetrical assortment of paint cans and lids. The Newbury Street location features paint cans dripping with vibrant yellow and salmon hues over a contrasted blue background. Paint cans are even used as floating lights to highlight the latest spring fashions.

I asked one of the Back Bay Anthro staffers about the newest display that looks like a multi-green hued fern creeping up the wall. It may make viewers think they are entering a forest with exotic swirling plant life, but it’s actually made out of twisted rubber bands and plastic bags.

I really value art that presents the mundane in a new light and makes the viewer think twice, something that I try to portray in my photography.

Anthro’s visuals remind me of seeing Luisa Caldwell’s candy wrapper installation at MASS MoCA in May of 2010. I stared in wonderment at little colorful butterflies that were once just the packaging of strawberry drop or Werther’s Original caramel candy. The whole candy wrapper fine art concept isn’t new, artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres did it in the 90s.

The other recent displays at Anthro include crystal ball sculptures glistening with rusty orange tones made out of plastic spoons and pink dresses constructed out of coffee filters. The display concept is not only environmentally friendly, but aesthetically pleasing. If you want to get in on the action, Anthro is hiring visual interns!

I also like that Anthropologie makes art accessible to the public by promoting interactive art displays like artist Jim Denevan’s live creation of a large-scale drawing in front of Chelsea Market in Manhattan.

ShutterStory aims to present a unique story behind imagery that I will post every Thursday on my Tumblr blog as well. If you want to see me cover a particular alternative story, comment here or tweet at me!