In Alabama it’s illegal to have an ice cream cone in your pocket at all times
The critic Susan Sontag wrote that photography, like no other medium, has the power to condemn or implicate. Crime scene images evidence wrongdoings; we take photographs as proof of something illicit. In her series I Fought the Law, young photographer Olivia Locher cleverly subverts what we think of when we think of crime and bad behavior.
Scouring the nation for absurd laws, like dildo and ice cream regulations, she creates staged narratives of each crime. Like much of her work, the images exist in a fantasy realm of bright colors and careful staging; they are framed head-on. Unlike the work of the photographer Weegee, who stealthily photographed actual crime scenes in black and white, Locher’s images are direct and playful. The law, or at least the laws she and her subjects transgress, is shown as ridiculous, and the lack of sneakiness or candidness adds to the idea of the absurd. Take a look and let us know what you think!
In California no one is allowed to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool.
In Wisconsin it’s illegal to serve apple pie in public restaurants without cheese.
In Delaware it’s illegal to wear pants that are “form-fitting” around the waist.
In Connecticut pickles must bounce in order to officially be considered pickles.
In Arizona you may not have more than two dildos in a house.
In Hawaii coins are not allowed to be placed in one’s ears.
In Texas it is illegal for children to have unusual haircuts.
Thanks to Olivia Locher
