Existential Considerations & a Bowling Alley

Duality. 24" x 24". Acrylic.

Sitting in a dingy bowling alley in Alpharetta, Georgia , the smell of nacho cheese, cheap beer, and sanitized bowling shoes permeated the air. I found myself in a bout of self-consciousness. Making sure I was saying and doing the "right" things. The south does have a well-defined decorum of course. This sentience, I think, was inspired by the bowling game itself. Your position in this game of sorts is relative to other, and this mentality quickly imbued my mind. Comparing myself when I should be enjoying things; thinking about what is "right" instead of being myself.

Why do we seek to compare ourselves? Why do we feel the need to justify our positions in the fabricated microcosms we create even if it's just a dingy bowling alley in Alpharetta, Georgia? Truthfully, it always circles back to our egocentric notions of self. The constant desire to find security for our insecurities outside of ourselves by comparing ourselves through our relative mind. It's a disconnect between our true, unadulterated self and the egocentric, insecure identity society encourages us to have.

So I ask, if you could be yourself, what would you be?

Happenings

I've officially released the magazine for my City Heights in Winter series. It outlines a photojournal of a marginalized community in San Diego, CA. The aim of this project was to capture the warmth and vibrance of this beautiful neighborhood.

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