Hallow Ground : Opening

As a photographer and re-enactor, I find myself at the intersections of historic record, lived experience and documentation. Though historic records and, the historic records of photography can contain the inaccuracies that those who are alive now may not fully understand.

Subsequently, by actively participating in re-enactments and period accurate photographic processes and documentation, I explore how anecdotal, ephemera and documentation of contemporary events may add to an understanding of this time period.

By linking the realm of memory and the realm of experience while simultaneously contrasting the historic and the contemporary, bring the viewer into the world of American “Living” History. While the moments created by reenactors are meant to reflect the past, the moments captured in their faces are what bring the images to life. These images leave the viewer feeling they have stepped back in time, even though the photos and documentation process are purely a contemporary act.

As in Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, “But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground.” Photography similarity exists between states and between grounds.