Ronjay42 and Instapauli0 (their online pseudonyms) work in the same office, and like to play pranks on each other. What started as a simple ‘ taping the mouse to the desk’ prank, quickly escalated into something more focused, utilising all their creative powers and half the office stationery. “If they put that much effort into official office business, productivity would go through the roof!”, their line manager announced. Ronjay42 and Instapauli0 have their own Instagram accounts and post photographs of these pranks as statements of provocation to the other in an ongoing prank ‘war’. They are also fictional characters. The physical object of the  work is the scene of the crime; the protagonists’ office desks. What is revealed on searching #prank4offices on Instagram is evidence of an historical archive that visually documents the escalating prank skirmish, and their running commentary. This is firstly an exploration of the changing nature of photography and the shift in emphasis from ‘professional’ to ‘amateur’. Photography is increasingly used creatively in everyday situations, as is evidenced by the acts of planking, pranking, owling, horsemanning and any number of similar acts. Secondly, it is suggestive of the public nature of our online lives, where office workers willingly present evidence of their procrastination for everyone including their bosses to see. Ultimately, this work fits into a narrative that I have been exploring for ten years in various forms, that incorporates notions of labour, creativity, boredom, resistance and productivity to critique our relationship with daily working lives.  

Philip Welding; Seize; Leeds
Philip Welding; Seize; Leeds
Philip Welding; Seize; Leeds
Philip Welding; Seize; Leeds
Philip Welding; Seize; Leeds
Philip Welding; Seize; Leeds
Philip Welding; Seize; Leeds
Philip Welding; Seize; Leeds
Philip Welding; Seize; Leeds
Philip Welding; Seize; Leeds
Philip Welding; Seize; Leeds
Philip Welding; Seize; Leeds
Philip Welding; Seize; Leeds
Philip Welding; Seize; Leeds
Philip Welding; Seize; Leeds
Using Format