AMERICAN PORTFOLIO

SERIES : AMERICAN POSTCARDS

The project delves into representations of place, cultural identity, and nationhood, specifically focusing on exploring master narratives and depictions of the American landscape and architecture.

My perception of the American landscape was shaped by imagery of vast, flat expanses, sparsely populated areas punctuated by rail crossings, wooden houses, large cars, and neon motel signs emerging from foggy, semi-rural surroundings. This perspective was influenced by movies, tourist guides, and the aesthetics of commercial landscape photography. However, in my quest to discover what constitutes a typical American landscape, I often encounter architectural structures that are less picturesque, more universal, yet more complex, and somewhat dystopian compared to what I had envisioned. This realization has prompted me to question the identity of places and, more broadly, the identity of any given place.

Through my work, I aim to reignite discussions surrounding representations of place, the essence of place, national identity, topography, and geography. By exploring these themes, I seek to unravel the layers of meaning embedded within landscapes and architectural structures, shedding light on the intricacies of cultural identity and the ways in which it is manifested in our surroundings.

AMERICAN PORTFOLIO

SERIES : AMERICAN POSTERS

The project concern place representation, cultural identity and nationhood. It seeks to explore master narratives and depiction of the American landscaping and architecture. Wandering around American cities and suburban areas my best observation is that everything seems much bigger. Tall buildings, organized nature. Not streets, but highways, not sea but the ocean. How do we really decide the scale of things? I narrow them down with my 6×7 frame. A road, a motel in the outskirts, a summer house, a hotel by the ocean, a parking lot, many parking lots, and neon signs…Everything looks man-made, hence the bigger scale. The search of the genuine American landscape is futile. Creating a version of it crafted within a personal sense of place, universal cultural symbols and digital pictorial practices is the recipe for this subjective Place-making.