Relics : Amir Zaki

A perfect show to begin the summer with hopes of having plenty of time to see the ocean. Amir Zaki's work is currently on view until Friday, 25june at Perry Rubenstein Gallery.

With the new series, the artist's intention is to create photographs that transform seemingly banal lifeguard towers that dot the Pacific beaches of Orange County into something other. They appear as awkward monumental public sculptures or stylized and non-functioning relics. The images of the lifeguard towers function less as a typology, but rather anthropomorphized as a group of portraits, not only because they resemble heads resting on necks, but also because the individual character of each tower is emphasized in a very specific way. Each of the images of the lifeguard towers are photographed against a sky, shot from below, and never include any trace of sand or ocean. Because they are isolated from any reference to locale, they sometimes appear to be other than what they actually are.

The images of lifeguard towers share a fascination with the familiar made unfamiliar, by creating abnormal looking structures/objects as portraits.
(from the press release)

all images © Amir Zaki