The Story Series consists of captioned photographs that contain not a single human figure, all while containing human emotion and pivotal moments in people lives. The open ended stories, embedded in each photograph, allow the viewer to continue each story from their own point of view and experience. They are intentionally large, so that the viewer feels they have stepped into the scene...
They originated with evening walks in my neighborhood, looking at the houses and wondering what was really happening inside- walking the roads and feeling that for some, this idyllic walk might be one of desperation, or escape. Lit naturally with available light, the viewer becomes the storyteller. They are emotional for me- evocative of the past, present and future, but I do not impose my story onto the viewer.
The Story Series merges my two careers as a screenwriter-producer of film, and photographer. The hope is, that these simple stories strike a chord in the viewer and elicit memories, moments in time, feelings and emotions. While photographing them and writing the stories, I am thinking of lost souls in small towns. women in loveless marriages, men who are lonely, children who run away, immigrants who are rounded up, my trans and gay friends who lived with unaccepting people- anyone who is different and feels isolated and alone. Some stories represent that moment in time when one finds the courage to know something they do not want to know- and to act, to make a change- to save oneself. The captions act as prompts for the viewers fantasies. There is a longing in them. They are invitations to feel.
The Story Series is being seen in Europe and has had one gallery show in Brussels, and three museum shows, one of which is up right now in Cuenca, Spain. After that it is supposed to travel to London, Paris, Lisbon, and China. Who really knows with Covid19. In this country, a few were shown in LA, but because of Covid19, the museum show at The Mattatuck Museum has been cancelled until 2022. I am gratified and moved to see that this work really touches people when they stand before them in person. I have seen people hold their hearts and some even cry. I think these emotions are the unifying force that prove that no matter where you are from, or your circumstance, human emotions are universal- something we all share- something that binds us together.
