Outside the Garden

If curiosity killed the cat, then who killed my lunch? This project is the byproduct of a simple curiosity I have about who we are as a civilization that has risen to the top of the food chain and our relationship with the animals we consume. By design, the average American consumer is distanced from the process of where our food comes from. As a result, attempting to gain access to photograph factory farms and slaughterhouses is sure to incite fear and even anger. Those emotions are not only an acknowledgment of an ugly truth, but also a testament to the power of photography. Perhaps the most enlightening aspect of this investigation is that when I photograph in less developed countries, the relationship with their animals is more transparent, reciprocal, and respectful. Perhaps there is something that we Americans can learn from this.