Venturing into the dark piney woods of Louisiana and Mississippi was necessary to create this series of photographs. Our only source of light was an off grid power system which allowed us to project images onto any chosen location from an LCD projector. These images of man-made structures and landscapes subjected to the destructive forces of nature were compiled from on the spot documentation during recent events in these areas. Projecting broken buildings and distressed vistas over the now mended countryside resulted in exaggerated spatial distortions and shifted terrains. New incongruous spaces are created through the duality of projecting past events onto the presently intact countryside.

This hybrid time and space results in distorted references to reality or common sense and displaces the viewers’ own perceptions, allowing for a re-evaluation of their awareness and logic. The psychological and physical aspects within these ambiguous shifting spaces also poetically addresses the current social-political environment. By exploring the grotesque through this new and complex vantage point, we link social and environmental issues unique to American South. We ask how Southern culture and heritage will be handed to future generations, what have we forgotten and what must be recast.

Complicated social structures throughout the American South evolve and shift with the landscape they are bound to. These unstable scenes speak to the slow decay of homes, businesses, churches, and other structures in the aftermath of economic collapse, natural disaster, and wayward government policy. Our images are created not for the sake of suspense, but to explore social issues that reveal the cultural character and possible future of the American South. By creating a mounting sense of unease, we invite the viewer to re-examine the Southern experience more closely.