Visual Culture - in the making
I didn't plan on starting this series but looking at my catalog I noticed a subtle recurring motif of subjects that some way or other represent the American culture and its way of life.
Mailboxes are peculiarly American expressions of identity. Living in the country anywhere I go I see all kinds of mailboxes, while some focus on the utilitarian need of it, some completely neglect them, others boast down-home creativity, even adding curb appeal with a mailbox garden. Mailboxes in Brazil are boring and inconspicuous, we don't give much thought to them, as we don't display the Brazilian flag all over.
It seems the red, white, and blue, stars and stripes are everywhere, enjoying an extraordinary status in American culture, and in Americans' private lives. They are encrusted in the American culture, and seeing flags displayed almost everywhere, had a great impact on me. Growing up in Brazil, the only displayed flags were the ones in the government buildings. Wearing the main colors of the Brazilian flag, green and yellow, was considered shabby. It clearly shows how little we were proud of our country. Things have changed in Brazil, but nothing compares to what I see in America.
More than just a beautiful picture of a flag, or of a mailbox, I want something in which they tie up a bunch of disparate feelings and create a compelling photo. Wouldn't it be interesting to challenge the banality and see if I can create a photo-narrative collection of meaningful images?
Do I keep shooting broadly hoping this series becomes an interesting project at some point? Or maybe this is just going to be what it is now, a collection of images of quirky mailboxes and the American flag displayed in a way that caught my attention and made me stop to document them.
