Scout Promise

In my recent photographic series Scout Promise I photograph girl scout troops in the United States and internationally. I am fascinated by a group of girls who function as a small society. I am interested in a culture made exclusively for girls, born of a progressive movement in the early 20th century that has transformed into an American institution, franchising its culture to many countries around the world. I am fascinated by the initial romantic ideology of the organization, and its goals - that the girls have a relationship with nature - and the contradictions and failures found within any society founded on strong principles and idealism.

American Exurbia and Costa del Este

In my recent photographic series, American Exurbia and Costa del Este, I represent American and Central American children in their homes. The settings are communities in Panama and New Jersey, of newly developed  “exurbia.” The characteristics of these communities are similar, yet they exist quite far apart. These communities are isolated, secure, and homogenous. It was to my amazement to find such similar qualities in two such starkly different geographic areas. I was likewise fascinated by the global phenomenon of these communities where they, constructed far from urban centers, exist with shared aspirations of safety and segregation.

My interest in photographing these children lies in my fascination with the development of identity in children within newly created environments. Both the girls and boys in my photographs are represented in moments where their individuality confronts the limitations of their respective and transforming culture. The work represents my perspective on these children and their futures. My photographs exist as an exploration of identity creation, and globalization.

This project is in part a personal exploration related to my own experience as a teenager moving to a small New Jersey town. Growing up, I became fascinated with the culture of American life in New Jersey. Through my photographs I attempt to portray the ideals of the new culture found within the gated community while also illustrating the reflections of cultural experience on the individual.  In making these pictures, I am able to see through a looking glass into a window on their lives.