Denver Harris

Open Until Midnight 

*HONORABLE MENTION*

My name is Denver Harris. I grew in rural central Florida, I like long walks on the beach, and have always had a passion for ideas. The manifestation of abstract concepts into ideas that can shape and mold our world fascinates me, so it should come as no surprise that I study political science and philosophy. When I was much younger, I had great issue speaking- I had a stutter and other speech impediments that made communication others very difficult. So, as I attended therapy to help me learn to use my words, I would often find creative measures to communicate with others. Even after I gained full use of my mouth and the many sounds it can produce, I found communication to be something I would spend a great deal of time thinking about. At this point it so clearly seems to me that that way an idea is presented is just as important as the idea itself- sometimes more so. In keeping this important distinction at the forefront of mind, I can approach my work from two dimensions: What? and How?

First is the “What?” – Current ideas that influence me and this work specifically are ones that I think have a lot of purchase in the day-to-day lives of millions of people. For example, America as we know her today is as capitalist as a game of monopoly (maybe even more so), and in America as we know her today, many, many people describe a feeling of being “forgotten” or “left behind.” I posit that these things are not unrelated. Given we know the tenants of capitalism say themselves that profit is the only desirable outcome, it would make sense that any given group of people seen as “unprofitable” would have a hard time finding a place for themselves. I have titled this photo “Open Until Midnight” to draw emphasis to the sign in the image, as well as the implications that come with it. We often worry about grocery shelves laying bare but to me there is a grand irony to me in having stores full of food and people still going hungry, all while bright signs remind them of their inability to purchase. Regardless of the time of day, the store is not functionally open to those without the money to spend.

And then there’s “How?” How do I get the message across? Why Photography? To put it simply: I love the fact that If I want to actualize a piece as it is in my head, I must make It real. For “Open Until Midnight,” I had to find the right storefront featuring the right sort of sign, force my camera to the proper angle and then ensure the lighting was as I needed- the process is a great exercise in literally shaping the real world off the notion of an idea, and using the result to further that very belief. Also, I can’t draw for shit.