…and all I got were these lousy T-shirts

Earlier this year I visited Storie’s Restaurant, in Greensburg, Indiana: family-owned and famous for their pies and pork-tenderloins. The midwestern qualities of the town filled me with deja-vu as I entered the diner and immediately noticed the advertisement covered vinyl tables. In less than a minute my family and I acknowledged the corporate collage under our silverware. Drinks were served in cups covered in latticework of LLCs. With my attention sold out to the restaurant sponsors, I became absorbed with the objecthood of the cup and table. Why are we inundated with advertisements and symbols in our everyday objects that are otherwise meant to create a sense of shared creative expression? Dana Witkemper from State-Farm stared at me as I bit into my egg and cheese sandwich, bearing a neighborly smile. I took a picture as if this was a new experience, knowing full well I had seen this before, and I’ll see it again. As I reflect on this moment, I become curious about how symbols hold value within American culture, and how brands serve as vessels to provide us experiences in the absence of community. It’s within everyday objects that the deeper mechanics of cultural meaning and connection begin to reveal themselves. Through fixation on sponsored-event tees, I aim to dissect the aesthetic components of these objects and reweave their narratives into a world where they're rendered meaningless or absurd.