Into America
James Featherstone

When I was growing up, my family spent a few years in a small suburban town in southern Ontario. My whole world was contained within a couple blocks. Then, when I was 8 Years old, I was taken out of school to go on an epic adventure with my Dad across America.

Starting in Ontario, we passed through South Dakota, Wyoming, Oregon and Utah, down to New Mexico and back. I made my first documentary film with the family camcorder which was screened for my school when I returned. That trip had a big impact on my life. It wasn’t until some 20 years later that I picked up a camera again.

Since 2011, I’ve been photographing throughout America in an attempt to seek out the similarities and differences to my home in Canada. I had been finding themes of freedom, vulnerability, identity and desires throughout the work, however, I quickly realized that I will never have any true understanding of such complex and confusing inhabitants (Canadians included).

As tragic and beautiful as this realization is to me, I question if any sort of understanding even matters at all.

The ongoing project includes tender encounters, peaceful landscapes, and abstract reflections that try to present a glimpse into the neglected corners of America.

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