Commonplace

the long version

"The drama of life rarely unfolds in majestic settings. Instead, nondescript spaces are more often the stage upon which one's life is lived. What Christine Welch sees as these "sometimes modest, sometimes sterile, sometimes pretentious rooms" is often dismissed or overlooked by their occupants, even when transformative encounters and events occur within their walls. Commonplace is a work of photography that not only provokes greater appreciation for these common places of everyday American life, but also captures their quiet dignity and subtle beauty." "Whether she photographs the food-stained living room of a fraternity house, the dimly lit booth in a local cafe, or the cool sleekness of a hospital's chapel, Welch reveals the poignancy of common spaces in our contemporary society. The unpopulated images in her book are stage settings into which readers can project the particulars of their own experiences and the meaning these places hold in their own lives." "Commonplace helps us to redefine and rediscover those spaces that are too common for preservationists to save, yet are too ingrained in the emotional fabric of American life to pass over."--BOOK JACKET.