The Boss in the Street, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This is a scene in the Leidsestraat in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The Leidsestraat is one of the main thoroughfares of the city, and no-one can avoid it who wants to see sights of the town such as the canals, the Rijksmuseum, The Van Gogh Museum, or who just wants to have coffee or a drink on the Leidseplein.
The Leidsestraat once had real Dutch character; but in a world of 'mondalisation', street decor increasingly becomes general. Huge international companies take over the scene and scenery. Thousands of streets much like this in all towns and cities of the world; little to distinguish them from each other.
The orginally German company 'Hugo Boss' of fashion is an example of a firm which 'glosses' over specific identiities - in this case of (un)clothing - and uniformises, as it were, our social and personal codes.
There's a beauty to these ads and at the same time a chilling generality and superficiality. The eye is drawn to glossiness and posed nonchalance, but a more careful perusal shows grafftiti reality and a dirty street. (here I am using the noun 'graffiti' as an adjective...!!!)
And still...
No, let's not go into detail about the backgronds - quite unsavory - which are just below the photo-surface of this shot! Thank goodness time moves on...
The Boss in the Street, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This is a scene in the Leidsestraat in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The Leidsestraat is one of the main thoroughfares of the city, and no-one can avoid it who wants to see sights of the town such as the canals, the Rijksmuseum, The Van Gogh Museum, or who just wants to have coffee or a drink on the Leidseplein.
The Leidsestraat once had real Dutch character; but in a world of 'mondalisation', street decor increasingly becomes general. Huge international companies take over the scene and scenery. Thousands of streets much like this in all towns and cities of the world; little to distinguish them from each other.
The orginally German company 'Hugo Boss' of fashion is an example of a firm which 'glosses' over specific identiities - in this case of (un)clothing - and uniformises, as it were, our social and personal codes.
There's a beauty to these ads and at the same time a chilling generality and superficiality. The eye is drawn to glossiness and posed nonchalance, but a more careful perusal shows grafftiti reality and a dirty street. (here I am using the noun 'graffiti' as an adjective...!!!)
And still...
No, let's not go into detail about the backgronds - quite unsavory - which are just below the photo-surface of this shot! Thank goodness time moves on...