Through the landscapes of the American Rust Belt, On the Heels of My Shadow both inspects and embodies my interdependent relationships with mental health and place. Characterized by de-industrialization and population loss, the Rust Belt is my home region, filled with lonely, melancholy spaces I feel a particular kinship with. Depression is a loyal companion of mine; I often feel grief-stricken, isolated, and out of control. By photographing these landscapes, by placing a temporary, mathematical order upon their structure, I gain back a sense of purpose and control. I am comforted with their familiarity, both because they are my home and because I see myself in them. Photographing the landscapes of the Rust Belt has become an obsession - in them, all of the unrest in me hones into something affirmative, absolute. The turbulence of my mind finally stills.
