As the former president of a Catholic elementary school board, and a member of this-and-that parish group, ad-hoc committee, and other community groups, I am pretty familiar with the inside of a meeting room.
I am also pretty familiar with the idea of obsessively photographing obscure picture sets.
That’s why I am taken in by Paul Shambroom’s, MEETINGS SERIES, a set of photos taken at town council and community meetings across the country. Banal and oddly similar in both people and room types. Here’s his take on the project:
These photographs emphasize the theatrical aspects of meetings: There is a “cast”, a “set”, an “audience” (sometimes), and a “program” (the agenda). Seating arrangements, clothing, and body language all provide clues to local cultural traits and political dynamics. The subjects play dual roles as private individuals and (sometimes reluctant) public leaders. Power may be relative, but the mayor of a town of 200 has much in common with the President of the United States. We see ourselves reflected (either in positive or negative) in our leaders, exemplifying both the highest ideals and lowest depths of the human spirit. Our reactions to them help define our perceptions of our own place in society, as insiders or outsiders, haves or have-nots.
via Design Observer.