the surface
177 snapshots of surfaces around the world.
This series began for me in 2010 while living in The Gambia, West Africa. A spontaneous, Kerouac-like, weekend road trip with my girlfriend to Guinea-Bissau somehow led us to getting on a local boat to the island of Bolama in Guinea-Bissau. With no real idea of where I was in the world, and no smart phones to assist me, all I had were the ruins of the Portuguese capital buildings and the smiles of the Kiriol speaking children playing soccer nearby to try and piece together an understanding of this fascinating place.
I became transfixed by the layered colonial colors and textures of the abandoned capitol building walls. Surfaces that were worn by the tropical elements, graffitied over and even urinated on in areas. Oxidation, entropy and human interaction all playing their part in creating truly exquisite surfaces that would humble any abstract expressionist. The walls seemed to hold layered complex stories just beyond my grasp. Stories of violent subjugation and power but also life, resistance and hope.
Every surface in this world holds myriad stories and secrets. These photos frame both the secrets of those places and my own.
Wherever I go, There I am.
