Convenience stores are many thing to many the great unwashed : a Slurpee - fill oasis on a long route trip ; a late - night hang - out for thirsty stripling hoping to loll some beers in the parking sight ; somewhere to snap up some Cheetos , because Cheetos . But no issue where you are , after minute the artificial glow of these things is like an eerie sirens ’ call .
PhotographerHarlan Erskinesnapped aselectionof these junk food for thought hubs a few days back , and the images are captivating : Each is totally familiar with a seen - one , seen-’em’all sameness that ’s very strange . Is it uncanny that I get them strangely comforting , too ?
There ’s nothing romantic or impressive about the architecture ; it ’s unmistakably consistent — the structural equivalent of a shoebox with windows dress out of the side — with light harsh enough to make anyone squint , and all the charm of a sheet of junk mail service coupons . chance are they have n’t changed one bit since he shot the serial ( I ’m guessing even amajor rebrandwon’t evolve how we see these maculation ) .
Some of these might be part of a strip mall , others situated on their own in the eye of nowhere . But even when there ’s black all around , you be intimate exactly what you ’re going to regain inside . [ Junk Culture ]
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