The Accessible Sublime

While traveling through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, I contemplated the first visitors to the area and how impressionable their experiences must have been when they first encountered these sites. Prior to train and automobile travel, access was granted only to those willing to travel on foot or horse, suffering at least some degree of danger or discomfort. So, those willing to make the trek most likely stood in great admiration of the area’s geological wonders. These days, attractions are easily reached, and congested traffic on paved roads (often caused by wildlife viewing) is agreeably the main source of discomfort for visitors. I have observed tourists as they exit cars, walk the boardwalks, and remain long enough to snap a quick, apathetic picture before returning to the road. In these photographs, I am considering the relationship between the physical features of this region and its contemporary observers, and how ease of accessibility affects an individual’s experience and interpretation of a place.

Completed 2015-2016
Archival Pigment Prints
Inquire for size, edition, and price