The Anonymous Project

"I have never really been a religious person but I am totally fascinated by it. The way it influences not only the way we live but the cultural landscape around us. Often it is seen as a moral compass in the way it shapes our lives, our decisions and even our relationships with one another.

I often see similarities in these images that can be compared to religious paintings and artworks. A mother and child, symbolic decoration, teenagers with saintly attributes or not as the case may be.

In post-war Western society, religion was gradually replaced by consumerism. The arrival of the television meant the birth of mass advertising that brought new and exciting products and experiences into homes.  Cars, sports, television, holidays and leisure have become objects of worship in their own right with a central place in our lives.

Capturing these moments became the main focus and preoccupation of middle class society captured in glorious Kodachrome to project and share with friends and neighbours. Even the way we captured images became an aspirational pastime with Kodachrome and Ektachrome slides becoming the new hi-tech of its day. 

When I look at these images, I often see moments that I myself have shared with family and friends. I see this sense of collective complicity that unites us, whether it’s as simple as looking in a mirror or sharing a joke.

For this exhibition, I wanted to present images that explore not only a collective memory but also a collective conscience; the notions of good and bad, vice and virtue, basically what makes us human.

For me, these images have an emotional value that is rarely found elsewhere in professional photography often differentiated by a direct look towards the camera and the often privileged relationship between the photographer and the subject – whether a relative, a friend or a lover. An intimate look into daily life, full of emotion and family histories that remind us of our own.The imperfections of framing and technique make them all the more beautiful and honest. Life unfiltered." 

Lee Shulman