Re-altered landscapes
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[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] The research in this work addresses the systematic construction of the American suburban landscape. The cost-effective model of neighborhood development creates a uniform environment and establishes a monotonous way of life. In my photographs, large portions of imagery are removed in order to eliminate the standardized arrangement of the surrounding location. The resulting exposures achieve a nebulous space with only few representational cues that provide situational context. I use ordinary suburban fixtures such as street signs, plastic fencing and molded concrete to abstract the uniform design of inhabited areas. These suburban components are so commonplace they begin to appear as part of the natural landscape. I use these items to filter the built environment. This work employs no post-exposure manipulation; the abstractions are all accomplished in camera. By working this way, the viewer is allowed the opportunity to mentally explore the possibilities of how to reconstruct the fragmented details in the pictured environment. Ultimately, one must imagine how to piece the abstracted information together in order to make sense of the photograph. Challenging contemplation of the suburban landscape through this creative process invites the opportunity for a thoughtful evaluation of the area. The viewer must visualize this rationally defined space.
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Access is limited to the campus of the University of Missouri--Columbia.