Contributor Spotlight: Joseph Charles Tripi

Sentimentality and nostalgia are elements in my photography, but lately I’ve been noticing this trend in other venues. Speaking casually with an acquaintance, even. Our country seems to be in the same mood - a similar darkness has fallen onto our suburbs, cities and towns. But why? These feelings, indescribable and not quantifiable by any poll or graph, may be pointing us to our greatest fear; an examination of ourselves.

Working through my hometown, Buffalo, and the actual house I grew up in, I’ve come to learn about myself through a removed position. This has been unexpectedly rewarding, though tough. It forces difficult realities, possibly mixed with some beauty, into an open state of debate. To come to terms with oneself, in any context, is a challenge of the mind. I feel that we as a nation, and especially my generation, are grappling with these broad, conceptual dilemmas.

So we run to our past. I find myself wearing the styles of my parents, driving old cars, admiring times past - their leaders and values. Is this the trend, or all we know? Has it always been this way? Simply, we cannot tell. Because of the increasing digitization of our lives, there are less and less tangible accounts of our young minds, who we are. Only the ever-changing present, and the documents left for further examination.

Joseph Charles Tripi was born in Buffalo, New York. He currently works and lives in New York City as a photographer and digital retoucher. Going to the beach, traveling through New England, and waking up particularly early are part of his weekly regiment. His photograph "Mom's Cigarettes" appeared in issue #42. To see more of his work, please visit his website.