New Orleans had been heralded as the most unique city in America. The largest city in Louisiana and a major United States port, it was known for its multicultural demographic, celebrated for its diverse culinary arts, valued for its pioneering Jazz music, visited for its lively festivals, praised for its French Creole architecture, and respected for its resolute people.
When Hurricane Katrina assailed the Gulf Coast in 2005, water inundated more than 80% of the city and killed over 1500 people. This artwork paid tribute to the tireless restoration efforts.
The project must extend beyond being a self-contained miniature model for it to resonate with the actual event. To achieve this goal, I constructed the model using a process that mirrored the real restoration, with its materials comprising of scrap wood and discarded artworks. Because recycling was a crucial component of the reconstruction, appropriating found objects linked the creation of the model to the restoration. Capitalizing on the photographic process, I also aimed to blur the sense of scale and to imply a space that transcended the feel of a miniature. I shot from a low angle perspective and lit the model using lighting that imitated the changing color temperatures of the day—specifically dawn and twilight—to remove the setup from the studio and place it in the natural environment. Furthermore, I designed the model and arranged the lighting to cast shadows that conveyed symbolisms hinting at the spirituality of New Orleanians. The cross shaped shadow against the backdrop illustrated their unwavering faith while the triangular shadow below the support platform elevated the structure, creating a visual ascension. The result portrayed an abstract landscape that resembled a floating half-constructed utopian city.
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