Halle Hughes’ body of work “Culture Shock” incorporates appropriated images of third world people and animals into modern-day America. Perhaps even more interesting than the premise of the project is that each photo has a personal meaning to Halle. The photographs of both the people and animals were taken by her mother on a family trip to India and Peru. The landscapes are mostly residential areas of Ponte Vedra and the beach. When asked why she didn’t use more urban landscapes the artist replied that “each environment had special meaning” to her. The residential photos were taken by her house and around her neighborhood. However, while I like the personal aspect of the project, I think that the overall project would benefit from a few more urban scenes. The beach could potentially be anywhere in the world, and while the neighborhood is more obviously American, you don’t get the typical “American feel” that you might from a downtown scene or sporting event. I feel like the exotic animals would have more impact if they were walking down the middle of a busy street versus sitting in the middle of a driveway. However, I really like the one of the camel on the beach because it feel the most realistic. Even though I know that a camel doesn't live anywhere near the beach, I feel like this one could. When I first looked at it, I couldn't figure out what was appropriated. Overall, I think that this is a very strong project and I love the personal aspect of it.
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