EUSA

Globalization has made the uniqueness of a particular country less significant thus creating an indistinguishable common world community. My project EUSA is a reaction to the homogenization of European and American cultures. Being enthralled by another country's way of life does not mean that it is always an accurate portrayal rather it becomes a sentimental and idealized depiction; an homage to a heritage that isn't ones own. In America these "European" venues resemble a land of make-believe, like something out of a fairy tale: magical, whimsical and quaint. In Europe the fascination lies in an America from Pioneering days, when the US was considered glorious and free. What was once characteristic has now ultimately become a caricature. Photographing these various maudlin locations within these two continents my goal was to illustrate the enthusiasm we have for one another's culture, explore the relationship between the past and what is currently occurring in these countries, and demonstrate this universal phenomenon that is a reaction to the homogenization of our cultures. I began this project in June 2008 photographing a wild-west theme park in southern Sweden. Since then I’ve visited over twenty-five locations on both sides of the Atlantic including ‘Indian' festivals in Germany, a Tulip Festival in Orange City, Iowa, an American Civil War reenactment in the Czech Republic, and a Maifest in Leavenworth, Washington. Currently I am in the midst of designing a book with Dutch designer Teun van der Heijden, which I hope to have published in late 2017.