Tasha Goldblum

James

Posted on January 26, 2023January 27, 2023 by clamato

Lighthouses (NYC PHARMACY SERIES)

Posted on January 25, 2023 by clamato

Artists love to paint lighthouses even though once you’ve seen one lighthouse, you’ve seen them all. They all look very similar to one another, but what makes them such a popular subject (apart from their sublime surroundings) is their inherent symbolism. They are beacons of hope and safe harbor (which also makes them easy to sell).

The choice to focus on big chain pharmacies as aesthetic objects was initially met with some skepticism, as they all do look quite similar to one another. However, as someone struggling with anxiety, depression, and isolation, these familiar spaces have great importance to me, (not because they sold me antidepressants -during the years I made this series I was not taking any medication) but because they were a reason to leave home, and a place to spend time alone that felt a little less lonely.

By the time I finished this series, a lot of the locations had closed down permanently, so I’m really glad I had a chance to honor them with these portraits.