2021: I know I said I wouldn’t talk more about each year since they’re so close to the present. But seeing the pictures here reminded me how much I loved spending time with new and old friends of 2021 and I’ll go ahead with this Show and Tell project. 2021 and the world was empty, LA was on perpetual lockdown, and I used this time to connect with some really great friends/artists to develop a few new series. The main series I invested in was “a world without men.” It was the idea that all the men died during the pandemic and the few surviving women would break in to groups: some in new mountain cults, some in the city repairing the mechanical system, some going solo, some connecting with nature, etc... “lost memories of a time that never existed” I grew up spending a large chunk of my time with women so shooting wild feral women felt natural. I was very close to my sister, mom, and grandma - I later realized the 3 created the character archetypes of my work: Mom: arty Grandma: spiritual Sister: tomboy 2021 was a beautiful experience with amazing people. I see my memories with friends being shared all over Pinterest, tumblr and IG. I also see people trying to copy my casting or my pictures without them realizing they’re missing the point of my work. The shot of Mary climbing the tower isn’t just a picture - it was a snapshot during a night where we hung out and talked about life, food, California, nature, and other things. The shot of Rachael looking at the moon reminds me of music, snow, the brakes on her car failing, conversations about our families, mudslides, and so much more. The shots of Chloe throws back memories of the blanket she brings to every shoot, how she always has stories of adventures she has with her bf, talks about spirituality, and so much more. All the images are like this: one part gift to the public, one part art, and another part memories with friends and creatives. By now my work is so different than where I started in 2008, but you can see it’s become more real, grounded, and connected. 2021 was hard because I was dealing with a lot at home, but the art gave me escape.