VISUAL EXPLORATION

My photographic projects are part of a larger theme that's meant to humanize the actors behind contemporary political movements. There are commonalities among them, despite their doubtlessly varied histories and ideological differences. My aim is to uncover these undiscovered parallels and the hidden complexities of American life.

EXPLORACIÓN VISUAL

Mis proyectos fotográficos forman parte de un tema más amplio que pretende humanizar a los actores de los movimientos políticos contemporáneos. Hay puntos en común entre ellos, a pesar de sus historias indudablemente variadas y sus diferencias ideológicas. Mi objetivo es revelar la complejidad de estos paralelos no descubiertos.

"You Can't comply your way out of tyranny"

Thousands marched from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial to protest the COVID-19 vaccine mandates and governmental responses to the years-long pandemic. An air of camaraderie was palpable among attendees, a sentiment that was contradicted by the evident ideological, political, and demographic diversity of the crowd.

Though much of media characterized the event as “anti-vaccine,” the messaging that day primarily fell on grievances relating to vaccine mandates and the suppression of medical opinion that ran afoul of mainstream narratives. The signage of attendees most commonly evinced frustration over government overreach and the subjugation of civil liberties resulting from COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

Decenas de miles de personas se manifestaron desde el Monumento a Washington hasta el Monumento a Lincoln para protestar contra los mandatos de vacunación contra el COVID-19 y las respuestas gubernamentales a la pandemia de años. Un inconfundible aire de camaradería era palpable entre los asistentes, un sentimiento que quedaba desmentido por la evidente diversidad ideológica, política y demográfica de la multitud.A la luz de los acontecimientos que tuvieron lugar el 6 de enero de 2021, los organizadores emprendieron esfuerzos preventivos para garantizar la estabilidad. Las directrices establecidas en su página web hacían hincapié en el imperativo de la resistencia pacífica y la manifestación no violenta.

La señalización de los asistentes evidenció en su mayoría la frustración por la extralimitación del gobierno y el avasallamiento de las libertades civiles resultante de los esfuerzos de mitigación de la COVID-19. Aunque gran parte de los medios de comunicación caracterizaron el evento como "antivacunas", el mensaje de ese día recayó principalmente en las quejas relacionadas con los mandatos de vacunación y la supresión de la opinión médica que se oponía a las narrativas dominantes.

January 23, 2022 - Washington DC

Signage of attendees displays beliefs that fall out of the mainstream of both the right and left. A testament to the crowd's ideological diversity.

Firefighters protest vaccine mandates for public service employees.

Attendee dons a Make America Great Again cap. References to Donald Trump were present, but relatively minimal.

Attendees asked to hold their signs up high.

Tens of thousands marched from Washington Monument. Some were in high spirits, others stoic. Many turned away from the camera as they walked through.

"No Mandates, No Censorship, NO Discrimination"

Flags of the U.S. and Australia, the latter subject to some of the most draconian COVID measures in the western world.

Dramatic photographs of men, women, and children protesting mandates and COVID-19 protocols.

"Recognize natural immunity;" "Where there is risk, there must be choice."

Few counter protesters attended the event. One man holds a box of masks and excoriates the officer for being maskless outside.

Signage stating "Here to knock a nazi out," hangs over the neck of a young woman who repeatedly chants "Lets go Darwin."

Women carry signs shedding light on the dismissal of healthcare workers over the vaccine mandate.

Two men gleefully hold their flags high in the air before the protest begins.

A man walked through the crowd with a Gadsden flag superimposed over the pride flag.

"I BELIEVE THAT WE LOVE LIFE"

Thousands braved the bone-chilling cold to attend the annual March for Life in Washington D.C. Attendees young and old demonstrated in the National Mall on January 21, a date that hovers around the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Both pro-abortion and pro-life advocates are questioning whether 2022 will mark the beginning of the end of the landmark decision that prohibited abortion bans across the nation. In coming months, the Supreme Court is expected to rule on a Mississippi law that challenges the viability strictures set forth in Roe by banning abortions after 15 weeks’ gestation. Commentators have expressed concern that the Supreme Court’s conservative majority may be inclined to overthrow the purported right to an abortion, one that judges found within the penumbras of the Bill of Rights almost 50 years ago.

Miles de personas desafiaron el frío glacial para asistir a la Marcha anual por la Vida en Washington D.C. Los asistentes, jóvenes y mayores, se manifestaron en el National Mall el 21 de enero, una fecha que ronda el aniversario de Roe contra Wade. Tanto los defensores del aborto como los provida se preguntan si el año 2022 marcará el principio del fin de la histórica decisión que prohibió la prohibición del aborto en toda la nación. En los próximos meses, se espera que el Tribunal Supremo se pronuncie sobre una ley de Mississippi que desafía las restricciones de viabilidad establecidas en Roe al prohibir los abortos después de las 15 semanas de gestación. Los comentaristas han expresado su preocupación por la posibilidad de que la mayoría conservadora del Tribunal Supremo se incline por derribar el supuesto derecho al aborto, que los jueces encontraron dentro de las penumbras de la Carta de Derechos hace casi 50 años.

"The Verdict is in"

Not guilty on all counts. On November 19, 2021 Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges for the 2020 shootings that left two men dead and one seriously wounded. Perceptions regarding Kyle’s guilt fell starkly on political lines and demonstrators from opposing sides swarmed the courthouse in anticipation of the verdict. Despite the presence of competing groups, the crowd’s posture was contentious, but peaceful. The rioting that was expected to take place in Kenosha and other Democrat-led cities never materialized.

“HA LLEGADO EL VEREDICTO”

El acusado fue declarado inocente de todos los cargos. El 19 de noviembre de 2021, Kyle Rittenhouse fue absuelto de todos los cargos por los tiroteos de 2020 que dejaron dos hombres muertos y uno gravemente herido. Las percepciones con respecto a la culpabilidad de Kyle cayeron drásticamente en las líneas políticas y manifestantes de lados opuestos invadieron el juzgado en anticipación del veredicto. A pesar de la presencia de grupos encontrados, la postura de la multitud era conflictiva, pero pacífica. Los disturbios que se esperaban en Kenosha y otras ciudades lideradas por los demócratas nunca se materializaron.

November 2021 - Kenosha, WI

Justin Blake, uncle of Jacob Blake, condemns the jury verdict after the trial.

"Konvict Killer Kyle:" KKK alliteration used to reference the Ku Klux Klan.

A woman holds up a sign that describes the men shot by Rittenhouse as "selfless heroes"

A male who described himself as antifa (left) confronts a pro-Rittenhouse demonstrator (right).

A pro-Rittenhouse demonstrator offers his microphone to a young woman aggrieved by the verdict.

"Jacob Blake, say his name!" A woman screams at pro-Rittenhouse demonstrators before collapsing into convulsions.

Two men air dissenting views over the verdict and the pathologies of the black community.

Communists call on the crowd to organize for a revolution.

While two men argue over the verdict, members of the crowd can be heard saying "this is war," and "it's time to sacrifice lambs."

"I am antifa"... Screams a demonstrator, after a black male in the audience denounces the purported anti-fascist movement.

Kenosha County Courthouse Post Verdict

"only revolution can bring justice"

Anti-Rittenhouse demonstrators list off the names of black individuals shot by police and call for a revolution.

"White Supremacy is embedded in this system"

Revolutionary communists demonstrate at the courthouse, advocating for the dismantling of institutions that they deem inherently unjust.

"the law is NOt equally applied"

One man's words exemplify a fundamentally different interpretation of events as expressed by competing sides at the courthouse that day. Pointing at pro-Rittenhouse demonstrators he states, "If you think you're going to come down here and be a Kyle...you have another [expletive] thing coming. Don’t come down here thinking you’re the [expletive] police….you won’t live next time.”

"STOP THE STEAL"

Trump supporters descended upon Washington D.C. by the hundreds of thousands in the wake of the November 2020 election. This was one of three rallies that were meant to show support for an embattled administration that was making little headway in legal challenges that had been initiated in states throughout the country.

"DETENGAN EL ROBO"

Cientos de miles de personas acudieron a Washington D. C. tras las elecciones de noviembre de 2020. Este fue uno de los tres mítines que pretendían mostrar el apoyo a una administración de Trump asediada.

December 2020 - Washington D.C.

Trump supporters watched the stage from afar. The spillover covered multiple city blocks.

"Vietnamese American for Trump" "Next Generation Republic South of Vietnam." Multiple pro-Trump immigrant groups were scattered throughout the crowd.

Trump supporter donning a Three Percenter tattoo cheered along with an uproarious crowd.

Attendees pressed against the barricades. They waited for hours to gain access to the front of the speakers' stage.

The crowd cheered as Marine One flew overhead.

General Michael Flynn figured prominently among the speakers.

Hundreds of Proud Boys marched down the street as onlookers cheered. Their aim was to proffer added security after attendees were reported to have been assaulted by anti-Trump demonstrators.

"EYE FOR AN EYE"

Luxury shops in Chicago's Magnificent Mile were ravaged in the aftermath of a May 2020 BLM protest. Residents awoke to graffitied walls, looted stores, and mounds of shattered glass. Every political movement is subject to opportunism and grift. These are some of messages of those who sought enrichment amid the chaos.

"OJO POR OJO"

Las tiendas de lujo de la Milla Magnífica de Chicago quedaron destrozadas tras una protesta de BLM en mayo de 2020. Los residentes se despertaron con paredes grafiteadas, tiendas saqueadas y montones de cristales rotos. Todo movimiento político está sujeto al oportunismo y a la estafa. Estos son algunos de los mensajes de quienes buscaron enriquecerse en medio del caos.

VISUAL EXPLORATION

"You Can't comply your way out of tyranny"

January 23, 2022 - Washington DC