Final Semester Final Project Proposals

Once again I'm in documentary photo so here are my two proposals.

The former:

I plan to shoot ranches on either side and along the U.S./Mexico border.  I want to see how ranchers and ranch hands on either side of the border live and juxtapose them. I'm pursuing access to a ranch that has been in the same family since the time of the spaniards.  Currently the ranch lies next to the border it used to be on the other side of.  I will start out spending a weekend there getting to know everyone and their situation.  Hopefully from there I will be able to meet other ranchers and pursue doing the same on the other side of the border as well.  I do know of a videographer who knows of some mexican ranchers who he may be able to hook me up with.  As I am taking another class which involves border issues I will already be spending time in and around the border.

I plan to shoot this mostly with a digital still camera and mix it with audio of interviews and natural sounds. Should it become appropriate I would like to shoot some video. I feel like this is a good twist on the idea of the modern cowboy.  While border issues prevail in Arizona, the similarities it has to Mexico are staggering.  In the style, the culture and economy.



The latter:

I propose to check out the different performing artists around Tucson and photograph them and their spaces. I would like to shoot the visual culture of Tucson.  Tucson's performing arts is heavily influenced by mexican culture in subtle ways.  Many of the performing artists in Tucson draw influence from carnivals and vaudeville.  Clowns are at the heart of many performances in Tucson's performing arts scene something which may be drawn from Mexican culture.  Imagery that is used can also be seen as being drawn from Mexican influence, All Souls Procession is probably the best example of that.  While the art here is influenced by the neighbors to the south it has it's own distinctive twist which interests me.

I feel I'm fairly well connected to the community and can get access to many of the performing arts groups in town to shoot having already given many of them photographs of themselves.  I plan on asking performing arts groups if I can sit in on practices and shows.  I can see who is going to these shows and what they do.  I will investigate into the muralists and graffiti artists around Tucson to see their influences and how they relate to the city and the culture.

I foresee this project starting out with many shots of performances but expanding into the spaces these people live/work/play in and the people who are drawn to the kinds of art offered.