You’ve seen the photos on your timeline before. Someone will take a trip to a cool place, but instead of snapping shots of the foreign sights, they’ll turn the camera on themselves and take a selfie. “Xoxo from Amsterdam!” the caption will read under a close-up of Becky pursing her lips in a kissy face. Cool, Becky. Might as well take a photo in an empty room.
This theme of self-obsession and oblivion to one’s surroundings is apparent in a new series from artist Hank Schmidt and photographer Fabian Schubert. In the photos, a man sits at an easel, surrounded by a beautiful landscape. But instead of painting that landscape, as one would expect, he paints the pattern on his shirt.
Maybe Schmidt and Schubert are commenting on people like Becky. Maybe they just think it’s a funny concept. Either way, enjoy their clever and captivating work: