Take a look around us.

This image depicts exactly the modern view of addiction. It has become a celebrity “must have” to have been to rehab, then leave again. And also the celebrity “must have” to commodify yourself and all that happens in your life. This news tabloid is on a newsstand that is advertising tesco, pets and the lottery.  The fact that this “reformed” addict headline can be placed there is ridiculous. This headline is selling a myth, and reducing addiction to something that can be sold. It is selling the “dream”, when the reality of becoming clean means leaving your old life, thought process, friends, family. The idea of welcoming people in to the “new” perfect life that they have doesn’t portray the reality of being an addict.

"Com-modification of Addiction"

This is a low quality image of the idea that fruit machines and petty gambling are a part of socialising and not taken seriously. This man stands, small in stature, opposite a machine of wonder, twice his size. He stares intently at this machine, drinking a beer, as people sit around him not paying any attention. This is a way of life, and part of our culture. Throughout the hour that I was in this pub, this man would switch religiously between these 2 machines, not leaving them for a minute. Eventually he had won a handful of coins and walked away. But the fact that he had stood there for an hour, putting endless money into these machines and walked away with a handful of coins, he was happy. But if this way of using a fruit machine is normality then isn’t that strange? How nobody batted an eyelid at him. I will explore this more by going into bookies and taking “secret” images of the people within. To see the reality behind the exterior, in the same way that you see the reality behind the addiction.

 

"Distraction"

 

This amusement arcade almost appears to look like a sex shop. It gives nothing away from the exterior apart from the idea that this shop will make you happy; it will entertain you and amuse you. The idea of it being masked on the outside intrigues you more, the shiny curtains in the window beckoning you inside. The idea of hidden glamour, and total innocence, this place is for fun. Contrasting with the 2 fire alarms outside, which should show the true reality.

“Not so Las Vegas 3+4” welcomes us to what lies beneath the exterior. So after being drawn in by this idea of fun, amusement and innocence we are confronted with the reality. Mirrored ceilings, garishness and cheap carpets. This amusement arcade is selling the idea of glamour, but the reality is that this place can enable you not pay your bills. This innocence can wreck people’s lives. And the reality of the appearance of this arcade almost tells you that. “Not so Las Vegas 4”, almost looks like a set, the chairs, the bin, it is all set up so you can sit there happily for hours. It almost looks like a dingy nightclub; this set is built around the idea of gambling.

"Not So Las Vegas" 1 2 3 4

This idea of a child waiting outside a bookies comes directly from my Mothers life, as a child she was made to wait outside the bookies for her Dad. This idea makes me uneasy, how a Father could actually ask their child to wait while they bet. But this does happen; an addict would prioritise making a bet over their child. These images are the ones that I will delve into more. The repercussions of addiction, and the actions you make against your loved ones when you are an addict. 

"Waiting for Dad"

I wanted to take some images of various betting/gambling/amusement places that we see in our everyday lives, just to show that this idea of accepted addiction does display itself infront of us but we don't even notice it. 

Wondering around on the outskirts of Nottingham, i reached a high street and on a stretch of about 200 yards there were 3 betting shops. What i found the most interesting was that they were located in an extremely run down area. I wanted to stay and watch these shops to see the kind of people that were using these betting shops, at one point 2 firemen walked into one of them. This really intrigued me and got me thinking about how far the idea of petty betting is really going. If 2 firemen in uniform walking into a betting shop at 2pm is everyday life, then isn't that quite strange? These particular men, who when we see them obviously know their occupation and what that entails, save lives. So in the grand scheme of things should they really care about a petty bet?

I wanted to take some images up close using a figure within the pictures, because as i said in my previous post i wanted to show some of the effects that addiction can have, so my rough idea was to show a girl waiting outside a betting shop for her parent. Some of these photos are not as perfect as i could do but obviously i will improve as i get a firmer idea of what my final outcome will be. I liked the idea of this image though, there is something so vulnerable about the female figure waiting outside the doors. This is something that i will definitely re-shoot when i concentrate on figures.

The next place i went was to an amusement arcade,  i only got 2 photographs inside because i got caught so could not get as many as i wanted. I wanted to explore the idea that these amusement arcades are suppose to lure you in by looking so exciting, just like the pier. But when you get inside it is dismal, dull and the only thing that keeps the place alive is the colours blasting from the fruit machines. I loved these 2 images and i do like the idea of going inside the places, to see the reality of what lies beneath the surface, which is a theme obviously running through addiciton.