Fading offers a deeply personal perspective on American suburban life, questioning the idealized version of existence. As the dream of prosperity unravels into an unreachable illusion, the profound struggle for connection in relationships fuels a pervasive loneliness across the United States. This series invites viewers to embark on an introspective journey through the emotional terrain of shattered dreams.
Drawing on my background as a cinematographer, where atmosphere shapes storytelling, I’ve used mood and visual language to reveal the intricate layers—material, emotional, and existential—that converge in each frame. While reminiscent of New Topographics photography in its depiction of suburban landscapes, the work takes its emotional resonance from Eugene Atget’s evocative subjectivity and Humberto Rivas’ melancholic approach to architectural photography.
This series reimagines Baudelaire’s concept of the flâneur through a contemporary lens, as expanded by Walter Benjamin’s thoughts on capitalism. Here, the flâneur roams the outskirts of suburbia, observing disconnection and longing from within a car. This form of wandering transforms the photograph into a secretive, almost stolen fragment of reality, raising questions about the photographer’s role as both observer and ghostly presence.
Shot on medium-format 6×9 color negative film, the images are captured handheld using a rangefinder camera. This technique embraces the immediacy of street photography, challenging the conventional rules of architectural and landscape imagery while integrating some of their principles. Scanned in high resolution and printed with a Romantic sensibility, these photographs aim to blend realism with fiction.
Fading seeks to uncover the unseen, immersing viewers in the South Bay of San Francisco as I lose myself in the quest to capture fleeting moments where reality begins to dissolve into broken dreams. This exploration of absence, tinged with a dystopian edge, acts as a mirror, revealing the hidden dimensions of suburban life.
All About Photo • January, 2025
