This work is from a book-project titled All The Past We Leave Behind. The work depicts Americans who are known as Workampers: people who travel the US in RVs and vans, working temporary and seasonal jobs as they go.
Workamping is a symptom of growing wealth inequality in the United States. It usually accompanies a move into greater financial precarity. It’s also a way of life that makes it much harder to meet basic human needs. Moving every few months means a lack of stable, long-term community and relationships outside of the immediate family. Healthcare is often unavailable or unreliable. Safety and security are more precarious, especially for Workampers who travel solo.
As Workampers often seek to re-create the feel and aesthetics of mainstream domestic life, I created portraits that situate them within their vision of domesticity. The familiar surroundings provide points of identification for the viewer while simultaneously pointing to the placelessness of Workamper existence. I want viewers to see real people with real lives; it’s vital that they be shown as individuals with dignity and humanity. I want to present portraits of people who viewers are able able to identify and empathize with.