Although I never depict actual humans in my photographs, the human psyche is undeniably at the center of my work. In this series I’ve created miniature staged narrative Noir scenes. Lone characters appear in decidedly suburban environments: cul-de-sacs, dark and empty roads, the small town bar, private basements and bedrooms, all offering an impression of seclusion, ripe for clandestine schemes. The scenarios take place at night, heavy with mystery and tension. We get to squirm with the sense of being voyeurs. As witnesses, are we implicated? What assumptions do we make? Do the characters know one another? How are they entwined? What are their motives? Are they heroes or villains, or a muddy concoction of both?
Upon reflection, I realize that these images are inspired not only from the television and film mysteries and spy stories of my childhood, but also from the sense of being a silent observer of the shadowy grown-up realm around me. My props and characters may come from a child’s world, but these are adult stories.
