The Weight of Non-Franchise Meat

I noticed that despite independent management, Long Beach donut shops often attempted to reflect the predictability and price competition present in franchise organizations. “The Weight of Non-Franchise Meat” is a series of color photographs documenting an imaginary “burger war” between these independent restaurants that exist in the shadows of larger, franchise establishments. The project is in homage to Robert Cumming’s 1971 artist book, “The Weight of Franchise Meat,” in which Cumming traveled from franchise to franchise, ordering hamburgers, teasing the meat from its wrappings, weighing it on a postage scale, and documenting the results. I used a view camera and color film in order to re-enchant these objects and their environments with aesthetic potential.

2008, prints are 11×14″ installed in a grid or line, pinned to the wall with white map pins