New Orleans, Post Hurricane Katrina

I am deeply affected by the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina and the ongoing crisis in New Orleans. I traveled to New Orleans in February and May of 2006, and March of 2007, to witness the state of the city and to photograph. I spent most of my time documenting the lower Ninth Ward neighborhood due to the extremity of the disaster there. However, I also photographed places in the upper Ninth Ward, Arabi, Chalmette, Mid-city, Lakeshore Park and City Park.
The purpose of my photos is to give voice to the people who have lost lives, family members, friends, pets, homes, neighborhoods, livelihoods, and the city they love. These images are meant to bring viewers into New Orleans’ experience of loss. They are meant to transport viewers into the streets, yards, homes, businesses, and churches of New Orleans’ residents. I hope my photographs will cause people to reflect on the many complex questions and concerns surrounding the disaster and its’ aftermath. I hope they cause people to ponder the significance of New Orleans as a historical and culturally important American city worth preserving and restoring.

cake box boys

photo: 1850's and today

Victorian Dress Project

Artist Statement

I live partially in the here and now and partially in my imaginations of the past.. In the last few years I’ve been working on a project where I photograph a Victorian dress in contemporary Bay Area landscapes and cityscapes. The juxtaposition of the dress to the landscape allows me to imagine the past in my present surroundings, to see the relationship and the incongruities. The dress has become humanized; it is now a she. Our trips together are like two friends exploring the Bay Area, looking for new places and seeing old places in new ways. I take her sightseeing and try to see her point of view.

pacific coast

san francisco portraits

Gender : Artist Statement

I photograph using documentary, directorial, and self-expressive methods. My goal is to photograph the various ways people express gender and sexuality. For me, this means expressing and accepting the “masculine” and the “feminine” whether one is male or female. My photos often show my underlying attraction to sexual /gender ambiguity.
I photograph sex workers, transvestites, performers, friends and friends of friends, whether gay or straight. I photograph people at Christmas parties, theme parties, Halloween, festivals and events, as well as times intended for nothing more than just playing dress up. Dressing up as someone other than oneself or another aspect of oneself, being ok with blurring boundaries and roles, brings the sexes closer together. This form of expression shows an outward rebelliousness to expected cultural norms. I create these images for their playfulness, their seductiveness, and for their rebelliousness.

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