Americans Now is a Robert Frank’s The Americans (1958). The project thus far contains work from NYC, LA, Honolulu, Florida, Chicago, Upstate NY, and Nashville. I plan on using the grant funds to further travel expenses. The Americans may have been made over half a century ago but the subject matter remains the same, with that realization I set off on my journey. The look of despair on a man's face makes you wonder how a child can run through a hurricane torn beach without a care. The somber scene of a musician busking on the boardwalk alongside an unhoused man listening with a beer in his hand calls for meditation. There is beauty in the despair of the place we call home. These reservations I had about the world around me came to a close once I started with this project. Photographing Americans has given me a convoluted but beautiful understanding of the world around me. I had a tumultuous journey which resulted in impulsive actions and destroyed relationships just because this project forced me to see the country and my subjects as one. I hope to continue because I see empathy towards those we do not understand but live alongside.
