Laura (Fashion Boutique), 5pm, 21 April 2009, LJubljana, Slovenia. Photo: French & Mottershead and Urska Boljkovac
J B Hats n Things, 4.30pm, 24 October 2009, Sheffield, UK. Photo: French & Mottershead and John Hartley
Adao (Marijuana), 10pm, 8 March 2008, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Photo: French & Mottershead
Levykauppa Äx (Record Shop), 1.30pm, 17 September 2005, Kuopio, Finland. Photo: French & Mottershead and Pekka Mäkinen
Casa Preto Velho (Religious Articles), 3pm, 17 January 2008, Salvador, Brazil. Photo: French & Mottershead
DV8 Body Piercing, 1.45pm, 19 August 2006, Penzance, UK. Photo: French & Mottershead and Steve Tanner
Spiceland (Asian & Afro Caribbean Food & Groceries), 11.15am, 9 June 07, Norwich, UK. Photo: French & Mottershead and Barbara Laws
Beaujangles (Fashion Jewellery & Accessories), 2pm, 9 June 07, Norwich, UK. Photo: French & Mottershead and Barbara Laws
Guan Hanji & Xiao Wangqins shop (Grocer), 6pm, 17 May 2008, Guangzhou, China. Photo: French & Mottershead
Kalakukkoleipomo Hanna Partanen (Bakery), 10.30am, 17 September 2005, Kuopio, Finland. Photo: French & Mottershead and Pekka Mäkinen
The customers of local shops gather at an appointed time outside the place of their purchase, to perform the ritual of a group photograph.
During the preceding few days and on completion of a purchase, Shopkeepers invited customers to return and be part of the picture. This intervention into the commercial transaction of a shop, transforms it into a social transaction.
For each of the photographs, French & Mottershead asked purchasers to write what they had bought to receive the invitation. They were then placed and posed by the artists with the action recorded by a local photographer.
Donated to each participating shop for permanent public display, the photographs and particpants’ writing combine to trace a network of personal purchases.