So I live in a small town in a Southern state. I am not from here. My wonderful husband, upon hearing the news that he was going to be a father, got his ass in gear and began looking for jobs that paid a real salary and benefits - unlike the university research position he held when we lived in the "big city." He landed a great job that just happens to be in the middle of freakin' nowhere.
Things about small town southern life that I am not used to:
being referred to as "gurly" or "little lady" by large men whose bellies hang over their jeans and whose cheeks bulge with chewing tobacco. I feel these terms are patronizing and condescending.
having to have my husband deal with contractors, mechanics, and repairmen. Otherwise, they just call me "gurly," tell me a blatant lie, and overcharge me.
constantly being asked by strangers if I attend church and subsequently, being invited to their church.
Let me think about the positives and post them later.
This is a series of work that I have compiled over the past 3 years, since my move to Tennessee. The images from Texas have been taken on trips home. The first of these images was actually taken 7 years ago during my senior year at UNT. I was driving home from work and it was spring. The sky across the plains was purple. I stopped on the side of the road and did a long exposure with camera movement. It was really just an experiment for me but I loved the image. Over the years I have found myself continuing this practice, though now with a sense of purpose. The images from Tennessee are printed on plexi and housed in handmade wooden light boxes, 10 x 10 x 10. I have not printed the images from Texas but plan on creating larger and longer light boxes for the Texas images.
Here is the artist statement for this series:
As a recent transplant to East Tennessee from Houston, Texas, I am mesmerized by the drastic change of landscape I have experienced. I have gone from the open flatlands of Texas to the confinement of mountains and smoky skies.Another change in my personal landscape is relocating from a city with over 4 million residents to a city of less than 30,000 people.This work reflects my overwhelming feelings of both isolation and awe of my new environment.
I have completed one piece from a series I have entitled, Finding Home. The series consists of images taken in both Texas and Tennessee and represents the dichotomy of emotions I have regarding the region I where I grew up versus my new home in Tennessee. Upon completion, each piece will be housed in a handmade wooden light box.
