Buy me something

And on that note, here's an interesting-looking photography exhibit, opening tomorrow in NYC. "Buy Me Something", by Nat Ward, explores consumer culture, identity, and desire through photographs.

"Play is an integral part of the growth and learning that all children undergo on their way to adulthood. With Buy Me Something, I look specifically at the tools of play, the modern consumer experience, and how these entities provide children with an education in desire and culturally acceptable behavior. I am influenced by my own ... childhood toy memories and fascinated by the elements of contemporary culture I see reflected, amplified and impregnated in children's commodities. My hope is that these images challenge people to consider how toys and the mechanisms that facilitate their sale inform and reproduce a distinct set of culturally-defined values." - Nat Ward