With over 200 images of t-shirt messages, “A Typology of T-
Shirts” looks at those individuals who stand out in a crowd
through their choice of the message on their back.
These photographs are just about the t-shirt. With their
combination of pictures and words these messages reveal much
about the identity of the wearer. They tell us who they are, who
they want to be and what they want us to know about them –
their hopes, ideals, political views and personal mantras.
Consequently the book is also a revealing and intriguing insight
into the concerns and obsessions of our twenty-first century
society.
By photographing from the back, I challenge the time-honored
tradition of the portrait being of the face and tests whether
body type, dress and demeanor can tell us just as much as any
facial expression might. Begun in 2009, the project has taken
me to cities and tourist spots throughout the United States and
Europe to record the ever-changing messages.
When George Harrison arrived in New York for the Beatles' historic visit he carried a Pentax Spotmatic as he descended the airplane steps. Susan Barnett, then 13 years old, soon bought the same camera and began photographing her everyday life.
After a formal education in Art History and a 30-year career in New York galleries, Susan again picked up the camera - this time her fatherâ??s Leicaflex. Photography has allowed her to blend her love of strong graphics and color with her interest in the human experience.
Susanâ??s work has been published in Popular Photography, LensCulture, PDN, Nerve.com and Lenscratch. Her work can be seen at Clampart Gallery, New York. The book "Not In Your Face" will be published by the Silas Finch Foundation, New York in 2011.
