I heart New Jersey
Photographs, 16” x 20”
“I heart New Jersey” is a series of collaged compositions that touch on several aspects of my limited impressions of New Jersey, creating an image of an outsider’s view. These images were included in the juried exhibit, “Is it possible to make a photograph of New Jersey regardless of where you are in the world?", at the Pierro Gallery located in South Orange, New Jersey.
I “googled” images using the term, "new jersey" and saved the ones I felt were symbolic of my perception of the state. I found things like highway signs, typical homes, professional athletes, pageant contestants, boardwalk signs, etc. Each saved image was enlarged in Photoshop and then printed out onto photo paper using my cheap desktop printer which was low on ink. This allowed for a random coloration. I wanted to give the images a bit of oddness, an unusual "doesn't quite fit" quality. I felt that this oddness would represent my lack of familiarity with New Jersey, as I have never visited; only driven through to get to New York. The low quality images became blurred and pixilated when enlarged. It’s how I see New Jersey, unfocused, as it is unknown to me as a community.