When they cross the line
by Keef Charles
I distinctly remember when I was barely more than a kid, going to Canada, staying with relatives in Victoria, on Vancouver Island. I’m ashamed to say that my first camera was one those cheap jobs, effectively a roll of film, placed in a box brightly emblazoned with Kodak’s corporate livery, with little more to make it technical than a lens, a button to release the shutter and a wind-on lever. 24 shots in all. Several of which, and this is the point, were of mannequins, shot through the window of a clothes store, downtown. Even back then, in the late 70’s, when we called them ‘dummies’, they were slightly unnerving, especially with the proliferation of books talking about modernia, the projected future of society and a Brave New World.
OK, it’s true that selling, marketing and persuasion are part and parcel of our consumer society. Without doubt, we all need to buy clothes, accoutrements, hairstyling and the like, to a greater or lesser extent.
But here’s the rub…
Hang clothes on a rail and some find it hard to visualise. Drape them on a mannequin and people start to get the picture. But when the mannequins are made to look too real, that’s when they cross the line, step off the display stand and slip through the window as a consciousness.
Of course the mannequins themselves are still only shapes and bodies to model the apparel, they’re not actually an artificial intelligence. Have to accept though, that by making them too life like, they become more like fashion models than the old style dummies, guiding people’s notions of what’s considered desirable. The perfect look, the seller’s idea of beauty, they’re designed to sway and compel the buyer. The line has been crossed, between reality and the fake world, as a friend terms it.
So it felt with this award winning provider of ladies’ wigs in Chester.
Their use of these realistic looking mannequins certainly drew my attention. I shot, went back a few weeks later and shot again. I’ll continue to return, intrigued by these soulless entities that somehow offer many a human their dreams. Yep, with new displays, outfits and styles, these mannequins have become compelling. However, I must admit, I’ve no intention of being persuaded to buy one of these wigs. Oh no, if I want something new to adorn my head, it’ll have to be another cap.
Final note, on processing. I’ve opted for b/w, as colour just pretties it up. For me the high contrast b/w shows the darker side of the fake world. Who are the dummies now?
