Red Orange (select images)
The nature of the road trip, has been documented by generations of photographers of place. Aware of this, my approach to the genre is a contemporary application traversing a seemingly desolate state examining isolation on and off the road. Creating a disconcerting, indescribable subject matter, Red Orange interweaves landscape and still-life while redefining portraiture thus creating a new, road trip documentation.
I began to reevaluate the traditional American landscape photography through the use of gels and filters. As the project expands over time, I look to fully utilize time on the road. Supplies are picked up at various grocery, thrift and dollar stores while passing through small towns. These items later utilized as tabletop motel still-life’s or personal interventions within the nature I’m examining. Gels and strobes became a secondary tool challenging the notion that straightforward photography tilts towards documentary. This application allows for an addition to the unnatural state I’m building.
There’s a rudimentary structure to photographer while traveling - wake-up before dawn, drive until night and motel. Beyond this the road offers very little structure. For each intersection arrived at one can chose another route. This structureless concept mimics the edit of Red Orange. The relationship of imagery lies in an almost dream-like state ever so ofter coming up for air revealing a new region in the narrative. This can lead to frustration at times, as can life on the road.