Ambulance Chasers

**Ambulance Chasers: A Photographic Exploration of American Precarity by Abraham Adams** Delve into the unsettling yet compelling world of Abraham Adams' *Ambulance Chasers*, a thought-provoking collection of photographic diptychs that dissects the visual landscape of American legal advertising and its underlying commentary on societal vulnerabilities. Published by The MIT Press, this conceptually rich book transcends mere photography, evolving into a critical observation on the promises and often the broken promises inherent in the American dream. Adams' artistic approach is both simple and profound: each diptych pairs a photograph of a personal injury lawyer's face, extracted from roadside billboards, with a corresponding image of the very landscape they ostensibly serve. These aren't glamorous cityscapes; instead, Adams presents us with the overlooked and often desolate corners of America: country roads stretching into the horizon, bustling but impersonal highways, vacant intersections, and the perpetual construction zones that symbolize a nation in constant, uneasy progress. The juxtaposition is deliberately jarring. The lawyers, with their carefully crafted smiles, assured gazes, and meticulously styled hair, project an image of unwavering confidence and guaranteed success. They promise assistance, a lifeline in times of crisis yet their portraits are presented against a backdrop that often underscores the very precarity they claim to alleviate. This visual dissonance forces the viewer to question the nature of these promises and the underlying forces that drive the personal injury industry. *Ambulance Chasers* is more than just a collection of photographs; it's a carefully orchestrated conceptual performance. Adams' work echoes the traditions of conceptual photography, reminiscent of the typological studies of Bernd and Hilla Becher, but with a distinctly American twist. He draws inspiration from the "anti-heroic" landscape photography of artists like Ed Ruscha, Lewis Baltz, and Robert Adams, who documented the banality and alienation of the American landscape with unflinching honesty. Adding another layer of depth to the project is an accompanying text by art historian David Joselit. Joselit's contribution is not merely an explanatory essay but rather an integral part of the artwork itself. His words unfold alongside the photographs, like a fragmented caption that both amplifies and complicates the visual narrative. Together, Adams and Joselit engage in a dynamic dialogue about the power of images, their manipulation, and their ability to shape our perceptions of reality. The book also includes an in-depth interview between the artist and the writer. This book is not only for photography enthusiasts. *Ambulance Chasers* will be interesting to those interested in American studies, visual culture, legal advertising, or anyone interested in precarity in America. *Ambulance Chasers* is a thought-provoking and visually arresting exploration of American culture, the power of images, and the complex relationship between promise and reality. Weighing 635 grams and spanning 136 pages, this paperback edition, published in 2022, offers a substantial and engaging artistic experience. With ISBN-13: 9780262047104 and ISBN-10: 0262047101, *Ambulance Chasers* is a unique addition to any collection of contemporary art and photography.