Wasteland

Pittsburgh’s punk scene was the first place that provided me with access to ethical, political and economic discussion. It was place that allowed me to express my frustrations, make friends, learn about new bands and party. From a young age I’ve dealt with feelings of loneliness and alienation. The punk scene gave me something to identify with and something to contribute to.

These photos were all shot over two days, in August of 2015, during a four day DIY fest called “Skull Fest”. My intent was to document this community from a humanistic perspective. I wanted to revisit the feelings and inspiration that the punk scene fostered in me 20 years earlier.

From the outset, my goal was to create a small edition handmade artist book and a “bootleg” ‘zine. The artist book would have a cyanotype cover, an homage to Anna Atkins. The “bootleg” ‘zine would serve as a reference back to the DIY booklets, newspapers and pamphlets that I would often pick up from march tables and distros during my early years as a young punk.

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