Western Frieze
Throughout the ages people have had different ideas about what the American West represents, but many agree that it
harbors a certain mystique born from wilderness. Though much of the West has been populated, paved over, and
commercialized, I believe it still retains this mystique in various forms, and to find it means looking from various
perspectives. This body of work takes on these perspectives and seeks to update our collective impression of the West by
putting forth a vision of Americaʼs landscape that uses roadside culture to convey where the West has been and
where itʼs going. Yet by no means are these photos meant to be pure documentation of America and its identity,
but rather a portrait of what American identity means to me. And by photographing the West – where enigma,
nostalgia, and history can be found in everyday scenes – I hope to help viewers find out what it means to them,
whether or not they ever visit these sleepy towns and loneliest of landscapes for themselves.
