I Fought the Law

Photographs by Olivia Locher of the Strangest Laws from Each of the 50 States

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• Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781452158181

Strange, outdated laws from each of the 50 U.S. states—some overturned, some still on the books, and some merely the stuff of legends—are depicted with sly wit by Olivia Locher. Incisive, ironic, and gorgeous, these images will appeal to art buffs and trivia fans alike. A foreword from American poet Kenneth Goldsmith and an interview with the artist by Eric Shiner, former director of the Andy Warhol Museum, contextualize rising-star Locher's photography. From serving wine in teacups in Kansas to licking a toad in Kentucky or perming a child's hair in Nebraska, breaking the law has never looked so good.

A Conversation Between Eric Shiner and Olivia Locher

June 28, 2016

ERIC SHINER Have you, Olivia Locher, knowingly or unknowingly, ever broken the law?

OLIVIA LOCHER For the most part I’m a do-gooder, until it’s time to make photographs. In art school I was shooting a lot of nudes while trying to discover my personal style. During my sophomore year I took a class titled “Nude, Naked, and Raw.” Every other week the students needed to present work for critiques. I’d take weekend trips to my hometown to work on projects where I would have people pose undressed. They would mostly frolic around just slightly out of sight from the public eye. I discovered that one model’s father was a police officer, and he was outraged that I was photographing his daughter. I became aware that the majority of the Johnstown police department had a personal mission to catch me. This, of course, made shooting a lot more fun and exciting! They never found me. I also abandoned and outgrew shooting in this style pretty quickly. Luckily, I found a love for the studio, where nothing is off-limits.

ES Your photographs are always playful, witty, colorful, and delicious. You seem to have your finger directly on the pulse of the art world, the fashion world, the world of advertising, etc. How do you think you developed such an all-seeing eye?

OL I think my secret is to indulge in every form of media and consume more than I can handle. I find it crucial to understand what’s happening with art and fashion both contemporarily and in history. If something doesn’t lie in my taste or interest, I don’t ignore it; I simply make a note of it. I’ve always found myself attracted to both high and low culture and the intersection of where they meet.

ES Did you always overindulge in media?

OL To a certain extent, yes. Growing up, I became obsessed with certain things. One of them was fashion magazines! I remember going to the bookstore and stealing every subscription card from the fashion titles that were interesting. I slowly started subscribing to them all. W magazine was the most influential one for me; their editorials were insanely creative. I got my start in photography around the age of sixteen by mimicking what I saw in editorials by creating self-portraits. When I went to SVA [School of Visual Arts], my fashion roots stayed with me, but I became far more interested in fine art. Currently, I find myself in a lucky position that my practice forces me to observe everything creative. For the past few years I’ve photographed backstage at New York Fashion Week for W magazine....

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• . . . And the Law Won
• A Conversation Between Eric Shiner and Olivia Locher
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors
• Chronicle Ebooks