Through the photographic project I've Been There: A Namesake Tour of Iowa, I have selected a series of towns in Iowa named after major tourist destinations (e.g.: Paris, Jamaica and Rome) or famous names (the Orient or Jefferson) and am now traveling to each town to create a series of images that will document the buildings and landscapes that give shape and definition to these locales. Using the town names as my guide, I am exploring the commonality and dissonance between the reality of a small Iowa town and the easy assumptions made about rural places.
A number of assumptions are made about the people, landscapes and mentalities of the Midwest. Having grown up in Iowa, I have a certain perception of my home state and of the Midwestern region of our country. However, after traveling the world extensively (and living for seven years in western New York), I now feel challenged about what I think I know about Iowa versus Iowa's reality.
Through the photographic project I've Been There: A Namesake Tour of Iowa, I have selected a series of towns in Iowa named after major tourist destinations (e.g.: Paris, Jamaica and Rome) or famous names (the Orient or Jefferson) and am now traveling to each town to create a series of images that will document the buildings and landscapes that give shape and definition to these locales. Using the town names as my guide, I am exploring the commonality and dissonance between the reality of a small Iowa town and the easy assumptions made about rural places.
The names serve the project two ways. First, they provide means of "random" selection. I know little to nothing about each locale prior to arriving to photograph it. I select it for inclusion in my project only because of its famous moniker. Second, I use my knowledge of the famous location or concept to influence the way in which I depict each site. I attempt to draw a subtle connection to each town's namesake. I intend to use these images to reveal the manipulative power of the lens while leaving the viewer with a playful look into how we see a place.