CONTROLLED BURN
Like many in the US, I am a transplant and have lived in the South longer than anywhere else. I ask locals, “How long do I need to live in the South till I’ll be considered a southerner?” Their answer is always the same, NEVER. Controlled Burn is a conceptual photography series that explores the smoldering act of assimilation and the pursuit of home. To illustrate narrative experiences I combine familiar objects into uncommon assemblages. The wit and juxtaposition of the art directed still lifes convey observations while navigating a new place. The combinations become a metaphor for feeling out of place while offering a reframe of regional stereotypes, inviting the viewer to question what is being represented and how it resonates with their idea of the South.
Controlled Burn is also an object in the form of an artist made photo book. The signed and numbered edition of 50 was created in August 2022. The book has been acquired by the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art and the Univeristy of Georgia Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Savannah College of Art and Design Library, Baylor University Book Arts Collection, as well as private collectons. It is currently featured in the 2022 Self-Published Photobook Show at Davis-Orton Gallery, Griffin Museum of Photography, and chosen by Paul D’Amato for Filter Photo: Back on the Shelf show.. To inquire more about the book please email smdavis.64@gmail.com.
