Samsara, 2006-2014

This ongoing series of photographs derives from the vitality of major urban centers such as Hong Kong, New York and others, and reflects my deep concern over the influence of urbanized, consumer culture on the global, social and natural, environment. Modern culture, through the voice of media and advertising, debases even the most noble and uplifting aspects of the human experience such as faith, hope, and love. Our once soaring ideas and ideals have entered common parlance, are often treated with a cool, distant, ironic stance, and are brought down to the lowest possible level. Explicit allusions to light and love, truth and beauty, permeate the marketplace, designed to manipulate human sentiment for the basest of reasons. It is an upside-down view of reality. I find it sad—even tragic— that the nobility of our humanity and our search for enduring values have been appropriated through words and images designed to titillate and sell.

 

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    Hong Kong #1, 2006 © David Ulrich
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    Hong Kong #2, 2006 © David Ulrich
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    New York #7, 2010 © David Ulrich
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    New York #14, 2010 © David Ulrich
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    New York and Honolulu, 2011 © David Ulrich
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    New York #4, 2010 © David Ulrich
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    Honolulu #24, 2011 © David Ulrich
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    Honolulu #37, 2014 © David Ulrich
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    Honolulu #10, 2011 © David Ulrich
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    Honolulu #29, 2012 © David Ulrich
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    Honolulu #28, 2012 © David Ulrich
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    Honolulu #35, 2012 © David Ulrich