Having vacationed at the (New) Jersey several times in the past I have long wanted to return and photograph at Ocean Beach.  It’s the most democratic of beaches.  Except for a few cottages (which is what they are officially called) on the fringes, the lots are all the same size.  The cottages some might say are nothing more than glorified trailers.  They are laid out in a symmetrical grid over three sections that total over 2,000 units.  Even the names of the sections are democratic, Ocean Beach I, II, III. 

Not much has changed since Ocean Beach was constructed in the late 40’s offering working class families an affordable vacation option.  The streets are still made up of sand which adds to the sparse and strong sense of place.  There is not much vegetation that thrives in this environment made up of sand, wind, and salt.  What little vegetation there is stands out and tends to be a variety of evergreens. 

Photographing the area in the off season offers a surreal feeling in its quietness and allows me to de-contextualize the cottages from their vacation purpose.  My intuitive work process takes me up and down rows of cottages until I feel or see something that appeals to me, whether familiar or abstract, formal or vernacular, often graphic or geometric.  As with most my work, color plays an important part.  Scenes are evaluated, composed, and exposed individually.              

The interiors don’t have many personal items or decorations which offers few clues as to who the owners are.  This creates an abstract time stamp and meets my interest in creating images with more questions than answers.  Furthermore it ties into post-apocalyptic visions of who we were, where and how we lived.  Most of the cottages are rented on a weekly basis in the summer thus making them into semi-public spaces, similar to hotel rooms. 

The bedrooms tend to be utilitarian in nature, minimal in size, and include a fair amount of wood paneling.  I am intrigued by the unusually shaped horizontal windows that perfectly match the camera frame but won't hold an air conditioning unit.  This project is a personal journey and study of a place in the American landscape that holds memories and appeals to my sense of aesthetics.