I became fascinated by Chicago’s nighttime alleys and back streets during the pandemic. I submerged myself in studies of how artificial lights penetrate the darkness of an urban environment. That darkness provided me comfort and cover from the events going on around me. The artificial lights transformed what is bland and ugly in the daylight into a beautiful hidden world, which is visible to those willing to risk the unknown, the shadows.
My initial work during the pandemic focused on the feelings of isolation resulting from our separation from each other (see the series Pandemic Nights). As the isolation dragged on through the winter of 2021, it felt like we all were in a long forced hibernation. The series Winter Shadows captures the feelings associated with a long seemingly endless period of cold dark isolation. In the spring of 2021, more people began to tentatively emerge and reengage in society. Broken Silence is a study of individuals as they again begin to participate in society. Ultimately, my work during the pandemic, is about confronting fear and finding the beauty, which can emerge from the unknown, the darkness.
After Broken Silence my work became less focused on feelings associated with the pandemic and more oriented toward exploring what the built environment says about contemporary culture in the United States. Behind the City, looks at the alleys of Chicago and explores what is behind the facade projected on to the street. Small Places is an exploration of small towns in the agricultural areas of Illinois and Iowa with an emphasis on the disparity between the agricultural bounty and the small towns of the region.
