Looking For A City

2012-2019

A long-term book project of photographs about returning home. I grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and spent the first part of my life trying to escape… to be anywhere other than where I was. This work examines my past while reconnecting with people and the land in the present. I continue to explore and seek to understand the connection of the land to its history and inhabitants.

 

Man standing on a rock in the Mississippi River.
Three crucifixes on a highway with a blue sky behind.
A skinny tree in the woods with an orange spot painted on it.
The Mississippi River from above.
An animal print in the sand.
An orange camouflage glove.
An air and vacuum machine machine at a gas station in front of a yellow brick wall.
Small red clay cliff.
Man with a straw hat, sunglasses and a gold chain.
Balconies on the interior of a hotel.
Woman in a teal colored shirt with a crucifix necklace.
Young woman sitting in the back seat of a car looking out of the window.
A meat clever on the top of a trash can outside on the sidewalk.
A man rolling up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo.
A painting of Martin Luther King Jr.
An old faded Happy Holidays card.
A man with grey dreadlocks, sunglasses and a beret sitting inside of a van.
A palm tree with red top soil in the middle of a parking lot.
Dried snake skin on grass.
A man sitting in a truck showing off a pistol.
An old faded Christmas card depicting houses in snow.
A close-up of a man's face revealing part of his nose and one green eye.
A flooded wooded area with a sole structure on stilts.
A close-up of a man's face revealing part of his nose and one eye and a smile.
A woman on a horse in the middle of a field.
A man behind a tent screen.
A lake with two overpass roads running through it.
A pack of military trading-cards.
A young man holding a skateboard and wearing a grey nike t-shirt.
A family standing by a palm tree next to a swimming pool.
Jimmy Swaggert preaching into a microphone with his arms raised.
A negative image of a man's face.
A school haed-shot of a young man.
A 45bpm record.
A man sitting inside of a blue tarp tent.
A blue wall that reads "God is Love".
A white car in front of a blue house.
A faded card that has a smiley face and reads "it's a small world".
A man standing with his arms crossed and smiling.
Jimmy Swaggert crying on television.
A man standing in front of a pond wearing a gold chain.
A hand holding water as drops fall out.
A dog on a leash licking it;s own nose.
An old vintage photograph of a young girl.
A man standing in front of a classic black car.
A man standing inside with a palm tree t-shirt.
A life-size cut-out board of a waiter with it's head missing.
A religious card depicting Mary and Jesus.
A man wearing a gold chain.
A crucifix on the side of the road.
A negative image of Jimmy Swaggert.
A man with a big hat and rubber boots standing under a tree.
A young girl wearing a cowboy hat on top of a horse.
A hand holding a small pistol.
A tree line on the Mississippi River that has flood lines.
A man sitting on a make-shift bed underneath a bridge.
A man standing on the levee of the Mississippi River.
A dead alligator on the road.
A petro-chemical plant emitting steam.
A house on stilts on the Gulf of Mexcio.
A book titled "Looking For A City" on a green backdrop.
A book opened to reveal it's contents on a green backdrop.

These photographs express a reverence…..

for the people of Southern Louisiana, and looks to the beauty, awe, somberness and sometimes devastating effects of the often mystical landscape. In searching my memories and confronting my past I find the balance between recognition of the difficulties that many in the South still face with pride and respect for the culture and people of Southern Louisiana. And yet there are still unanswered question and conflicting feelings. I have learned to see where I am from with fresh eyes, but the lasting marks of the history of the South still remain. The things that I fled from still remain.

Next

While You Were Away