Wall was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. While studying art history at the University of British Columbia in the 1960s, he became interested in Vancouver's experimental art scene and taught himself photography. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1968, and his Master of Arts degree from the same university in 1970.
The image entitled ‘Mimic’ is one of the best known images of Canadian artist Jeff Wall. It has a photo-journalist ambiance, on a nondescript sidewalk that could be in any North American city. The image was taken in 1982 and explores contemporary social issues. The viewer is left to interpret the signs and make his own assumptions, creating meanings about the three characters involved in this brief encounter. Also the picture on the left is shown all of the composition of photography and I have even kindly color coded.