| Cassidy |
Transitions:
An Introduction to the Castellana Family
These photographs were taken of my family from February
to April 2004 in Stockton, CA with a medium format camera.
This project chronicles my family's current state of
transition. They are moving from a rundown, working-class
neighborhood to a more upscale, gated community. The
problem lies not with the home they currently live in, as my
step-dad built it himself, but in the neighborhood and its
dilapidation and crime.
Emotionally, this is a time of immense struggle and hope.
Currently, my mom works two jobs, as a bartender and
model home salesperson. My step-dad is a truck driver who
has been out of work because of a prolonged case of
appendicitis and the death of his father. There is such an
intense drive to move towards bigger and better things, but it
is an uphill battle. The strain of dealing with a move and
everyday life is difficult and I wanted to capture that
sentiment. With the heartache comes immense hope and
excitement for something new.
It seems that theirs is a universal struggle; they are trying to
attain a better life, to give their children something more than
what they currently have. I just could not pass up the
opportunity to show how hard it is to reach for the American
Dream.
An Introduction to the Castellana Family
These photographs were taken of my family from February
to April 2004 in Stockton, CA with a medium format camera.
This project chronicles my family's current state of
transition. They are moving from a rundown, working-class
neighborhood to a more upscale, gated community. The
problem lies not with the home they currently live in, as my
step-dad built it himself, but in the neighborhood and its
dilapidation and crime.
Emotionally, this is a time of immense struggle and hope.
Currently, my mom works two jobs, as a bartender and
model home salesperson. My step-dad is a truck driver who
has been out of work because of a prolonged case of
appendicitis and the death of his father. There is such an
intense drive to move towards bigger and better things, but it
is an uphill battle. The strain of dealing with a move and
everyday life is difficult and I wanted to capture that
sentiment. With the heartache comes immense hope and
excitement for something new.
It seems that theirs is a universal struggle; they are trying to
attain a better life, to give their children something more than
what they currently have. I just could not pass up the
opportunity to show how hard it is to reach for the American
Dream.
| Mom with Pan |