“Fashion that’s Larger than Life”
Natan Dvir, an Israeli photographer, focuses on the human aspects of political, social and cultural issues. For his “Coming Soon” series, Dvir says that in recent years, a kaleidoscopic net of huge billboards has enveloped the commercial hubs of New York. Seen here, a man looks at a Juicy Couture billboard while passing it on 52nd street close to 5th Avenue in New York, June 5, 2012. (Photo by Natan Dvir/Polaris)
Dvir says the branding of the cityscape has become so ubiquitous, that the colorful, monumental advertisements, looming over the narrow streets, seem to be virtually unnoticed by the passersby. Giant billboards both dominate the urban landscape and blend into the background. Pictured here, a hotdog vendor looks at a woman next to a Zara billboard on 5th Avenue in New York, September 7, 2008. (Photo by Natan Dvir/Polaris)
Dvir says these ads, always in the peripheral vision, turn the people moving through the space into passive spectators. Pictured here, two men sit on a bench next to a Tommy Bahama billboard on 5th Avenue in New York, June 13, 2012. (Photo by Natan Dvir/Polaris)
Dvir says the grasp these ads have is democratic and compulsory – the outdoor advertisements cannot be turned off and are able to reach a diverse public whose movements through the city momentarily overlap. Seen here, a woman passes by a Zara billboard on 52nd street and 5th Avenue in New York, November 09, 2011. (Photo by Natan Dvir/Polaris)
Dvir says the effectiveness of outdoor billboards is juxtaposed with their impermanence; most are replaced after several weeks. Seen here, a man takes a cigarette break next to a Tommy Bahama billboard on the corner of 45th street and 5th Avenue in New York, October 14, 2012. (Photo by Natan Dvir/Polaris)
Dvir says the ephemeral nature, massive size and saturated colors of the ads create a fluid cinematic experience for the observer. Seen here, a woman and two girls next to a Thor Equities billboard on 5th Avenue in New York, August 12, 2012. (Photo by Natan Dvir/Polaris)
To Dvir, “Coming Soon” is an exploration of our visual relationship with the branded city centers and the commercial environment we live in. Seen here, A man looks at a Massimo Dutti billboard on 54th street and 5th Avenue in New York, August 12, 2012. (Photo by Natan Dvir/Polaris)
Pedestrians walk by a Juicy Couture billboard on 5th Avenue in New York, September 7, 2008. (Photo by Natan Dvir/Polaris)
Tourists wearing white rain coats ride a bus covered with an ad of The Rockettes in Times Square in New York, October 9, 2012. (Photo by Natan Dvir/Polaris)
A hotdog vendor talks to a customer next to a future Dolce & Gabbana store on 5th Avenue in New York, February 26, 2012. (Photo by Natan Dvir/Polaris)