I believe that architectural structures acting as both repositories and as vehicles for memory profoundly influence culture and identity by providing a tangible framework through which facets of a society can be expressed. Consequently, I have been inspired to build a body of work dealing with how identity is influenced by the types of architectural edifices present in a given landscape.
Edward has created his own galaxy and draws planets of his own devising from multiple perspectives. There are hundreds of characters and settings within this galaxy. Through the years, his imagination has taken him far into the future. Though born deaf, Edward communicates through sign language and through his art, as well as through his wife, Elaine, who encourages his artistic efforts and is his chief spokesperson. Eddie has a keen sense of humor which has carried him through the darker places in his life and can be seen in the serendipity of his art. His Outsider/Visionary Art has been shown around the world, from New York City to Seoul, South Korea.
In 2012 I began photographing Reading, Pennsylvania and its environs. I photographed the city’s architecture, its storefronts, its streets and alleys, its homes and shops. In these walks it became apparent that parts of the city are returning to a semi-rural state, with backyard gardens and forest reclaiming space, and grass growing over alleys. I began looking for moments that evoke this period in Reading’s history, the aesthetic preferences of its current populations, and the quiet return of nature in its edges and cracks. I also began seeking out the remnants of colonial infrastructure in surrounding fields and forests of Berks County, of stone walls, farmhouse foundations, lime kilns and iron works. Images from this series have been made in dozens of locations, many revisited in different seasons and over years, to evoke the interplay of change and permanence.