Gab Bois takes that which is mundane and ordinary and turns it into something that makes most people do a double take, bringing in a fresh way of seeing things. The photographer defamiliarizes ordinary household and other conventional items as fashion accessories, among many other things.
This includes everything from banana slippers and skull cap cereal bowls to pumpkin hats and a whole bunch of bras and purses, making for some surreal photography. Sure, it's not all that practical for the most part, but it certainly captivates people with how surreal it looks as works of art.
“I was always into fashion, especially DIY fashion, even as a kid. I would help my mom remove the leaves from the corn cobs and then we would use them to make doll dresses. I’d also make flower necklaces for the neighborhood cats during my free time, little things like that,” Bois explained the origins of this idea.
“Being an only child and playing by myself, I was put into a position where I had to find ways to keep myself occupied, and I developed a huge interest in doing little crafts, so I can say a part of the work I do now still comes from that childhood interest and curiosity.”
We asked Bois to elaborate on how the whole creativity process goes in her book, and she said this:
“The process starts with an idea. Sometimes, it comes on its own, without me having to even think about it, but sometimes I sit myself down and brainstorm.”
“Then, production. It can take anywhere from 15 minutes to several days, depending on the complexity of the idea and its execution, and whether or not I get it right on the first try.”
“I then finish off with post-production. That part also varies in time and complexity but I always try to create as much of the concept in real life so I only polish off the image in post and don’t do any major editing work.”
Art is a challenge in and of itself that can sometimes end up pulling an artist back to square one no matter how fleshed out it may look in your head. Bois considers some of the challenges she finds the hardest in her line of art:
“There are many times when an image I thought would look a certain way in my head doesn’t turn out that way at all. That’s definitely the most challenging part of trying to turn ideas and abstract concepts into three-dimensional objects or sets, because there’s only so much that you can plan in your head before trying it in real life.”
“Also, sometimes a concept that I think is super clear and makes so much sense is completely lost in translation when brought into a picture. It’s definitely frustrating when that happens, but that pushes me to be resourceful, think outside the box, and try again.”
Lastly, we’ve asked Bois to point out some of her favorites among the slew of designs she’s created over the years, and she had this to say:
“I have many favorites. Sometimes ideas turn out so much better than I had expected and that just brings me so much joy. The orange bra and cell phone inside a sea shell are great examples of that.”
“The other ones I really love because of the context of their production, whether I got help from a loved one to make it or the feelings I experienced while making it. That’s the case for the big band-aid blanket, the book pages made of yellow cheese singles and the ice cream cone made of snow.”