Palm Springs, Past Perfect

The photographs in my series, Palm Springs, Past Perfect, seek to illustrate the essence of the midcentury modern American era as celebrated in the design and lifestyle practiced by the so-called Palm Springs modernist community and its tourists. Photographing this storied American resort town in black and white, rather than the bright colors in which it is usually depicted, gives these images a timeless quality and enhances the nostalgic feeling that its devotees crave and worship in today’s unsettling time in American history.

Although the mid-20th century period in which this desert town blossomed is thought to have been one of hope and prosperity, not all Americans experienced it this way. The contemplative quality of black and white imagery suggests that the hazy memory of post-war America, as seen in the rear-view mirror of that vintage car, may not have had the same colorful glow for everyone––that there may be more to the story, hidden in the monotone shadows of the black and white photography common in those days.

Regardless of interpretation, returning to what was generally thought to be a kinder, gentler period in U.S. history is a salve to those who may want a respite from this uncertain moment in time.