Exploring objects and events at the periphery of war describes a less discernible national identity and foreign policy. Examining what the average American watches, reads, eats, buys, and “Likes,” can reveal how American patriotism materializes on the sides of beer cans at NFL games. I'm interested in the commodification, consumption, and representation of patriotism in advertising, media, culture, and religion, often over-lapping in video games, TV shows, and sporting events. As a photographer, I am both an observer and creator. My work utilizes the medium of photography to document, archive, catalog, flatten, enlarge, and scrutinize these objects in greater descriptive detail. The specificity of photography allows me to use the aesthetics of the press and advertising industries to oscillate between art as fiction and documentary as fact while contributing to the existing visual vocabulary of military iconography.
