States of Union is comprised of a series of color portrait photographs of same-sex families.
"Family" in States of Union, may be as few as two individuals who are in a committed
relationship and live as a social unit. Homosexuality exists in every community, and crosses
religious, ethnic and socioeconomic boundaries. And yet, there is often a tendency for the
media to show a single, unflattering visual depiction of gay men and women – and an equal
tendency for gay men and women to search for an accurate representation of themselves
within this single image. Thus, States of Union has a dual objective: as it acknowledges the
gay communityʼs struggle with self-recognition, it also acknowledges the struggle many
Americans have with accepting gays as worthy of equality.

Throughout its history, portraiture has been used to memorialize the family lineage. While
heterosexual families have a pronounced and illustrated legacy, for the most part gay
unions have not been acknowledged in the ledgers of history. In a country that does not
yet fully recognize same-sex families legally or culturally, the visual record provided by
States of Union may be one of the few formal acknowledgments of these relationships.

The photographs loosely reference historical portraits. By drawing upon classical images,
the tropes historically used to promote heterosexual family units are re-appropriated and
reinvented to serve a more expanded view of family. Through gesture, lighting, size, color
and formality, the images recall artists such as Manet, Renoir, Paxton and Sargent and pay
homage to the original purpose of portraiture: the glorification of the individual and the
family. These photographs follow in that tradition by enhancing not only the subjects
themselves, but also the subjectʼs personal space. The subject is portrayed in the best
possible manner and decorative elements are manipulated to enrich the surroundings. The
photographs are printed on matte paper with a non-glare luster glaze and framed without
glass; thus recalling the genre of painting. However, while the genre of painting is
referenced in order to link the images to the legacy of portraiture, the choice to use the
medium of photography plays upon our cultural assumptions that what is seen in a
photograph is a record of fact. Thus, the viewer is reminded that these families do, indeed,
exist.

The finished project will consist of one hundred photographs from diverse populations and
locations across the United States. The photographs, with commentary, will become a
published work. Ideally, the published work will have two formats: a small sized paperback
available at community centers, pride events and on college campuses across the country,
and a large coffee table book. A traveling exhibition of the photographs will continue to tour
galleries and museums as well as public spaces in small towns and big cities around the
United States. Through the two publications and the diverse venues for exhibits, States of
Union will reach a wider audience than many traditional art exhibitions. The ultimate
objective of the project is to produce a work of art that has a social impact, affecting both
the subjects of the work and the audiences who see the work.