Sundance Mugshots
In my Sundance 2003 Mugshots, I capture a compelling intersection of art, truth, and celebrity culture. Over just three days, I photographed 55 celebrities at exclusive gifting suites and parties for Jane Magazine, marking my first major assignment and the launch of my professional career.
Each mugshot in this series transcends the role of a mere portrait, serving instead as a statement of truth or prophecy. I drew inspiration from the cultural significance of many famous mugshots—such as those of Martin Luther King, Prince, and Jimi Hendrix. This series engages with these ideas, as exemplified by Tatum O'Neal's "Prom Queen" mugshot, which reflects the expectations imposed upon her life, expectations that ultimately diverged from her reality. Similarly, Anna Paquin’s "Nocturnal" mugshot prefigures her subsequent role as a vampire in *True Blood*. Macaulay Culkin’s "Old Age" mugshot, taken during his mid-twenties, speaks to the paradox of a childhood star who has seemingly aged beyond his years. Chloe Sevigny’s "Pill Queen" mugshot eerily anticipates her later struggles with prescription medication, while Clifton Collins Jr.'s "187" mugshot foreshadows his role as a killer in ‘Capote’.
This series, rich in layers of meaning and cultural commentary, invites viewers to explore the tension between public persona and private reality. Each piece functions as a visual artifact that not only captures the spontaneity and energy of Sundance but also delves into the complex narratives that shape public figures.
Urban Decay
This series explores the remnants of once vital and thriving places in Jackson, Mississippi, now abandoned and neglected. Through my work, I seek to illuminate the harsh realities of urban decay driven by systemic issues such as lack of opportunities, limited access, and pervasive poverty. These images stand as stark reminders of the potential that has been lost and the communities that have been left behind, urging a reflection on the socio-economic forces that continue to shape the landscape.
“An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he must choose.”
Excerpt from Langston Hughes’s
“The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain” (June 23, 1926)
“FREE WITHIN OURSELVES”
“We younger Negro artists who create now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame. If white people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, it doesn’t matter. We know we are beautiful. And ugly too. The tom-tom cries and the tom-tom laughs. If colored people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, their displeasure doesn’t matter either. We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves.”
Yet, amidst the decay, there is a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of Black communities in the South, who have always found ways to turn scraps into a living. This ability to transform the discarded into the functional speaks not only to their creativity and survival but also to a legacy of perseverance that endures even in the face of abandonment within humanity.