New York based commercial photographer, Donald Bowers, boasts over twelve years of experience in the industry. Despite his often lively, energetic and color-intense compositions, Bowers took a step back for The Bathroom Series and let the naturally desolate elements of winter dictate the direction of this photoset.
Taking an almost stark contrast approach with these photographs, Bowers distinguishes his Bathroom Series by presenting those commonplace yet hauntingly reminiscent images of winter’s impact on the human spirit itself. The last scraps of toilet paper stuck to the roll, pure white pills on a black backdrop and torn warning labels from over the counter medications. In reflecting on the uncertainty of winter’s trajectory and that of those enduring it, Bowers successfully translates the ambivalence and domesticated sense of survival that courses through our veins come cold season.
Bowers shares with us his insight into the world of photography, the inspiration and vision behind this series and the artistic process he utilized moving forward with this project:
“The Bathroom Series is a reflection of my love of all things CVS, Walgreens, Duane Reade, etc. It comes from a young budding photographer’s interest in the wonderfully overstocked OTC section of any drug store and all you can find there.
Living in the cold Northeast during the winter months, my photography direction often turns to still life. And while Amazon online shopping is one of my favorite places to find inspiration and subject matter, I don’t always want to spend needless money…that’s when I raid my bathroom!
The Bathroom Series expresses things that are going on in my life, as well as a reflection on this time of year when you feel anything from lonely and vulnerable to hopeful and excited. The bathroom raid comes on the heels of a new year, new goals and new outlooks on life. It looks inward and represents using what we have to power through the tough winter months.
I try not to spend inordinate amounts of time on any one project, unless it’s an ongoing project which is years in the making. Otherwise you can get caught up in it forever and get stuck. But this one in particular took about a week.
I asked Donald to discuss his artistic process, and how this project may have challenged, derailed it entirely or simply differed slightly from that of his other works.
“I knew I wanted to create a little story, but wanted to do it in black and white. All the over sharpened, over saturated high depth of field work we see so much of these days made me want to see something different…a bit different even from my own style.
Photographers are constantly looking - not only at their own work - but often at other photographers, ads and editorial. This creates a challenge in that many photographers get derailed by the constant looking before and during a project. In order to overcome this, when I have a specific project I always try to just throw myself into my work and focus on the task at hand, rather than looking around to see what others are doing. There is plenty of time for that later!”
To view more of Donald Bowers’ work, visit his site.