‘I turned a corner and saw this: a dusty alley lined with daisies, a few redheads, a handful of puppies and a woman with a gas can, all in blinding sun. That’s the miracle – when everything comes together and you’re there to catch it’
I
n 2013, I’d been living in New York for a long time. The social life was vibrant but I had never figured out a way to make pictures there. So when a friend sent me details of a teaching position in Eureka, California, I jumped at the chance. When I arrived, I found Northern California to be a confounding and beautiful place, one that inspired a new body of work almost immediately.
Eureka was the first time I’d stayed so long in one place. During those months, I saw the same people day after day. I taught two days a week at the local community college and the rest of the time I was free to walk around – exploring, meeting people and taking photographs. I was entirely focused on my work, almost like a residency.
Northern California is a rugged place that feels like the far-flung edge of the world. I lived in this old house on top of a hill where people rented furnished rooms. You could see the Pacific ocean and the redwoods from the upstairs windows and people came and went without announcement. The entire time, I had this feeling that I could disappear and no one would notice. I would get that feeling from others too. A lot of the people I met in Eureka were on the run, either from their own lives, or from a country they thought had let them down. Humboldt County has a mythic presence; it remains a mystery that I don’t think I ever solved.
