Mt. Pleasant, IL
This set delves into an imaginative reconfiguration of history, using counterfeit historical photos and documents to craft an alternative narrative of a small Midwestern town. By subtly altering key details in these artifacts, I create a world that mirrors our own but is marked by small yet significant differences. This reimagined history becomes the foundation for a fictional story, where the town’s past is reshaped by these altered events, leading to a present that feels familiar yet intriguingly off-kilter.
In this fictional town, the changes in history ripple through the generations, profoundly impacting the lives of the characters who inhabit it. The fabricated documents serve as evidence of a reality where minor deviations—like a different outcome of a election or national immigration policy—have led to dramatic shifts in the town’s development. These small divergences create a butterfly effect, where the altered past shapes not only the town’s infrastructure and culture but also the personal histories of its residents, intertwining their lives with a version of history that never actually existed.
Through this project, I aim to explore the power of narrative and the fragile nature of history itself. By blending fiction with historical fabrication, the project invites reflection on how our understanding of the past influences our identity and our present. The fictional story I weave serves as a commentary on the subjective nature of memory and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and where we come from.
-2024
I long for a fatherland,
A people to whom I could belong.
To share in their history,
And ignore their vile deeds.
To wear their crest,
And drink their beer,
Visit their temples,
At twilight turn.
Toward that place,
That we'd all hold high.
A magic city of ancient sand.
-2015.