November 15, 2001 ­ February 13, 2002
James Graham: Iconic
Entrance foyer at 1945 Broadway, in downtown Oakland
Hours: 6am – 3pm, Monday – Friday
Presented by the Oakland Museum of California Professional Services division

James Graham Bobber 2, 2001, C print

Beauty reveals itself to me in objects that others may take for granted, in places that many find banal. I believe in beauty and find it in the macroscopic world, where it is often lost in the visual overload of culture.

The subjects in this series “Iconic” are all small objects purchased at suburban shopping centers. Many items are from the fishing and tackle section, designed to attract fish. Others are toys and household tools. Despite their innocuous purpose, the products are designed to appear dramatic, even seductive, with an aim to entice purchase rather than improve function.

That these objects were purchased in suburban shopping centers in the middle of the desert late at night further confounds the subjects’ original intent. Hundreds of miles from the nearest fishing site, these products seems to have no functional purpose in their display racks other than to be perceived as sculptural exercises in shape and design. It is this quality that I seek to capture by monumentalizing the objects outside their retail context, focusing only on their form and color.

Sponsored by Songy Partners and CAC Real Estate Management Company, Inc. in association with the Oakland Museum of California Professional Services division.