Arts & Humanities

In seminar, students’ imaginations are fueled by shopping lists

In Jessica Helfand’s freshman seminar “Studies in Visual Biography,” she asked her students to imagine the lives of people whose real-life shopping lists were abandoned, and later found. Her students’ work has been published in a book titled “The List Project.”
1 min read
By
Susan Gonzalez
Gallery

The List Project

  • 1 / 7
    A list that included cow yogurt, eggs and a small can of pumpkin pie filling inspired this collage by Karen Tien.
  • 2 / 7
    This list including Enfamil baby formula and Marlboro Light cigarettes inspired Maru Filiba to invent the character of a woman who feels connected with her past life when she smokes.
  • 3 / 7
    Margot Gerould’s collage depicts a coupon-cutting woman who is saving her money for the nose job that she always wanted.
  • 4 / 7
    Holly Hajare’s collage features financially distressed parents who conceal their economic worries from their two daughters.
  • 5 / 7
    This list of items to buy at Wal-Mart led Sofia Norten to imagine a mother of three who works as a stripper at night after her husband dies.
  • 6 / 7
    Catherine Shih imagined a lonely teacher whose pets provide her only companionship when she saw this list featuring animal food.
  • 7 / 7
    Maru Filiba imagined that the maker of this shopping list — featuring infant formula and cigarettes — is nostalgic for the carefree life she had before she unexpectedly became a mother.

Arts & Humanities