Down by the Hudson

„The initial idea for my project Down by the Hudson was to photograph my walks through Poughkeepsie, in particular along a three-mile stretch of its Main Street. I grew up in big cities and my conception of small American towns came from things like Norman Rockwell illustrations; so I wanted to see how what I saw matched up with those inherited, almost mythologized ideas of American-ness.

I realized that one of the main things I’m doing is exploring community and the interactions within it. This became particularly clear towards the end of the project, when I started working at the watering hole. While I was at University, my girlfriend - now wife - brought me to this small clearing on the outskirts of town by a drive-in movie theater. It took me almost four years to actually start photographing there. It was Edenic because many different people shared the space, let their guard down, and tried to cool off. In this tense political moment, there’s something about this watering hole that draws me in. I think I was waiting for the right mindset and the right camera for what I had in mind.

The town of Poughkeepsie is a dynamic, energetic place with its own struggles and beauties. IBM used to have its headquarters there, and so it’s a symbol of sorts for the post-industrial economic decline of many small American cities. I love Poughkeepsie. It’s where I met my wife and fell in love.“