This idea has been stuck in my head for a few days, as the road trip triggered it. I wasn’t able to figure out a way to visually represent it until the middle of last night. I woke up with the concept, gathered the materials, and produced it this morning.
I feel like I am in a unique position after my trip across the middle of the country, though no one needs to hear from me, to share a perception of the United States as we approach the 250th milestone. Every town I hit had decorations and an acknowledgment of the upcoming July 4th. I drove through many states, but there were clear areas where the celebration was front and center. The middle of the country felt far more prepared with bunting, flags, and decorations. The funny thing was that the decorations were almost identical, as if a party in a box version of the 250th had been mailed out to every small town in the Midwest. Over and over, I saw the exact same displays, almost always set up in an empty storefront window.
Yet, I kept thinking about how vastly different all of these places actually were. Kansas was different than Nebraska, Oklahoma was different than Missouri, and Massachusetts is very different from all of them. In all the times I have driven around this country, I have never thought that it is the same everywhere. I think that variety is a good thing, but with the 250th here, it is a strange time for that thought. We are all celebrating this milestone, but we are living very different lives, with different rules, cultures, and expectations, and I don’t think some of us even realize it.
We are guided by the same basic standards that stem from our leaders and our shared history, but even that is a bit complicated. Not every state has been a part of this union for 250 years, yet they are still celebrating, rightfully so. We are not all the same age, and in some places, it almost feels like we aren’t even the same country.
So, how do I represent that complexity in a single photograph? What about one photo, but with 50 separate parts? What if I showed the Declaration of Independence, but magnified 50 distinct times?
Using glycerin, which feels fitting for a few reasons, a plate of glass, a printout of the document, good light, and a precise angle, I managed to do it. There are 50 separate views of the exact same document in this photo, just as there are 50 views of what the US is, all refracting off one common base.
It all makes sense in my head, and I needed to represent it. I am not sure if it is explained well enough in words, but for me, the photograph works. Happy 250th America, 50 different ways.
tr/trp