Masato Seto: Binran & Picnic
Overview
Masato Seto is a Taiwanese photographer raised in Japan who made a series called Binran girls 2007-2008 made in Taiwan at night of girls who sell betel nuts to passers-by in roadside stands open 24 hours. A particular part of Taiwanese and other south Asian cultures, the habit of chewing seeds produces a stimulating effect making the seeds popular with truckers as well as older members of the population who favor the seeds as a pick me up. These strident color photographs, shot at night with ample artificial light, project onto the young female vendeuses airs of loneliness and urban anxiety, though, according to the photographer, the majority of the glass framed stands are located in suburban neighborhoods. The girls, he says, are content with selling their wares, which he claims, consist only of drinks and prepared nuts. There is an ambiguity in what exactly they are selling. Is it Binran or something more. Regardless, their provocative dress and vacant stares lead us to believe that the stage is set and that there is more going on that meets the eye.
Works
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Untitled, Binran Series, Plate 34, 2007
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Untitled, Binran Series, Plate 1, 2007
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Untitled, Binran Series, Plate 47, 2007
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Untitled, Binran Series, Plate 25, 2007
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Untitled, Binran Series, Plate 7, 2007
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Untitled, Binran Series, Plate 2, 2007
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Untitled, Binran Series, Plate 33, 2007
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Untitled, Binran Series, Plate 48, 2007
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Untitled, Binran Series, Plate 10, 2007