The Hereditary Estate

For the past decade, I have made photographs to examine the family photo album as part of a visual infrastructure that supports the ideology of the American Dream. As I became an adult my parents began to reveal details of a dark family history—the evidence of which, had been removed or hidden away in the shadowy corners of our family sanctuary. Frustrated by the lack of photographs in my own family archive to document this troubling family narrative, I set out to create a potent amendment to the idealized family album assembled by my family members. I photograph friends and loved ones in parables of love, reverie, respect, and quiet tragedy. I collect and alter found photographs to elaborate on the family story. I make these images in an attempt to honor our relationships and remain true to our history.