Sophie Gladstone

Promise & Demand explores self-optimization and the relentless pursuit of the perfect personal brand. In alignment with Sophie's interest in aspirational culture, and the visual tropes of success, the works here combine carefully mediated still lives and environmental details, with constructed self-portraits. By integrating herself into the series, Sophie is making an admission - that she plays a role in this system too, perhaps even directly benefiting from it.

“The series runs on adrenaline. I get this rush of what feels like an aesthetically pleasing self-actualisation when I create images that echo a successful life. I’d never judge anyone for polishing the appearance of their life, it’s a survival tactic in a very competitive world."

Read more about Promise & Demand at the British Journal of Photography.