Hearts Content Road

Hearts Content Road refers to a series of surreal and allegorical portraits featuring local teenage girls. This body of work explores the dual nature of fantasy – a realm that provides both escape and excitement, yet harbors its own shadows of uncertainty

Hearts Content Road refers to a series of surreal and allegorical portraits predominantly taken in Upstate New York featuring local teenage girls. The portraits are taken in a secluded motel and in the forests of the Catskills Mountains. This body of work explores the dual nature of fantasy – a realm that provides both escape and excitement, yet harbors its own shadows of uncertainty. I employ staging, symbolism, and candid documentation to create a collaborative mythology of shared experiences, expressing the interior narratives of historically overlooked voices, specifically, teenage girls.

The setting evokes a sense of isolation and tension, reflecting the claustrophobic nature of being confined to a body and the struggle to define oneself under the scrutiny of societal expectations. During the period of coming of age, with the close proximity of the forest, the palpable sense of longing is undeniable. Whether through performative gestures or enacting girlhood rituals, the stage is set for delving into the subconscious and uncovering hidden truths and forgotten mysteries.

In an era where feeling disconnected from the cultural moment of immediate and impersonal image-making is prevalent, working in this way creates an uncanny sisterhood and facilitates meaningful human connection. The process is deliberate, and image-making is intentional. Shooting film and composing on a medium-format camera without an assistant allows for a conscious relationship between the photographer and the subject, grounded in acceptance. Taking the pictures feels like an act of resistance, a purging of that which no longer serves us, creating space for new energies to unfold.