quit squalin’ is an ongoing series that addresses the isolation and discomfort of growing up queer in the American South. Taking pride in one’s heritage while simultaneously rejecting harmful cultural norms are complex feelings that intrigue and mystify, and these images are an attempt at depicting this juxtaposition of emotions. In the empty spaces of the abandoned places in these photographs, one can feel calm and peaceful due to the quietness, however, the decaying walls reveal an unreliable structure that exemplifies the uncertainty surrounding one’s relationship with personal authenticity.

Informed by the places I visited with my family and the objects that surrounded me as a child, the level of comfort with the places and objects stand in conflict with the turmoil of being raised in a conservative household. The playful but disconnected subject exposes the internal conflict of resolving normalcy in identity in the context of southern domestic life.