I live in a world I don't recognize anymore. I remember a time when education and intellect were valued, where thoughtful debate on contemporary social issues was possible and expected, and where a person could be open to changing their mind through compelling evidence. I don't see this anymore. Political debates contain little content; public opinion is about entrenching oneself in an established point of view; distrust and fear of science, scientists, researchers is abundant. I want to create a body of work which reflects this current state, and also portrays my sadness at the loss of respect for education, study, science, and evidence-based decision making.

One sees abundant evidence in political discourse, school board meetings, public protests against LGBTQIA+ activities, public policy, and government. Debate forums that were once characterized by reasoning and thought have devolved into mere name-calling and blame-assigning shouting matches. Logical inconsistencies are abundant as individuals become entrenched in their beliefs, unwilling to be persuaded by evidence or logic. Fear, Christian nationalism, and political extremism dominate public discussion.

I'm going to represent this state of intellectual decay through black and white film photography, creating an artistic record that portrays the current situation, especially as we head into an election year.

This project is funded in part with a grant from the Southeast Minnesota Arts Council and made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the MN State Arts Board thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.