‘Power through wealth’

“Cole Haan,Chicago, Il.’’, photo by Brian Ulrich, in his show, “The Centurion Chapter VI: The Consumer,’’ at the Thorne Sagendorph Art Gallery, Keene, N.H., through Dec. 12.

Mr. Ulrich says:

“‘The Centurion’ is named for the moniker of the famed American Express Black Card, which was created in response to persistent rumors of its existence throughout the 1980s. This contemporary tale of the rendering of reality from urban myth is perhaps emblematic of a new Gilded Age – where illusion manifests itself as power through wealth. I have been creating photographs that examine the construction of desire and myth, and portray wealth as an aspiration, an enchantment, and a means to consolidate power. From store display windows where luxury objects function as precursors to screen culture, to hierarchical views of landscape and architecture, and to direct, performative portraiture, ‘The Centurion’ questions the social, economic, and psychological effects of a system that defines success as plutonomy. Photography has a particular power to reveal what many in our culture are blind to, especially within the culture of privilege. ‘The Centurion’ shows how commerce and consumption fuel irrational desires for power and envy, while also revealing the often frail mechanics of its construction, evident in the inherent loss of value of an expired credit card or the folly of a contemporary home built as architecture of defense.’’