Artist Lee Gainer is a master at getting us to see things when they are taken away, grouped together, or set apart. Her site is full of interesting projects made from appropriated images. Her series, Two Months Salary, has sparked a lot of publicity for her thought provoking series about the way we spend our money. Two of her projects are featured below, Unhidden, and Group Therapy. Lee lives in the Washington DC area, and received a BFA in Communication Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Images from Unhidden

Weekly advertisements contain multiple examples of representations of socially accepted behavior, appearance, and lifestyle. Isolating a single aspect from these ads allows for a personal evaluation of its possible underlying message.

Images from Group Therapy

We have a tendency to seek out others with similar interests and ideas. Within these found groups, we can discover a place to belong, to be ourselves. When these ideas or interests require a certain uniform, whether for safety reasons or a consistent visual appearance, it serves to underscore our sense of belonging and our perceived acceptance within the group.