Straddling the cultural frontier between North and South on the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
Straddling the cultural frontier between North and South on the Blue Ridge Mountains of...READ ON
Straddling the cultural frontier between North and South on the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
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Headed out West
Headed out West
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Trucker Carlos Mendoza stops to fill up with diesel during a sandstorm in the Imperial Valley.
Trucker Carlos Mendoza stops to fill up with diesel during a sandstorm in the Imperial Valley.
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She could hardly watch as her husband smoked the tires and lurched down the track in his souped-up hot rod. It was over in seconds but took a lifetime, classic American drag-racing event Bowling Green, Kentucky.
She could hardly watch as her husband smoked the tires and lurched down the track in his...READ ON
She could hardly watch as her husband smoked the tires and lurched down the track in his souped-up hot rod. It was over in seconds but took a lifetime, classic American drag-racing event Bowling Green, Kentucky.
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His father an oil man, Oklahoma oil rig dreaming.
His father an oil man, Oklahoma oil rig dreaming.
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Strength and freedom, Oklahoma
Strength and freedom, Oklahoma
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Strolling the strip, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Strolling the strip, Las Vegas, Nevada.
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The pinnacle of outward beauty being prepped for a Vegas "Fantasy" show, Nevada.
The pinnacle of outward beauty being prepped for a Vegas "Fantasy" show, Nevada.
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"Ashton" spreads her angel wings in a showgirl's backstage chapel, Las Vegas.
"Ashton" spreads her angel wings in a showgirl's backstage chapel, Las Vegas.
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Taking a chance that pigs may fly, summer town fair near Boulder, Colorado.
Taking a chance that pigs may fly, summer town fair near Boulder, Colorado.
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Children hide from their parents and play at war, summer's eve Colorado fairground.
Children hide from their parents and play at war, summer's eve Colorado fairground.
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New to the United States and motherhood, Marie, a painter and school teacher from Eastern Europe drinks the wonderful spectacle of lights from her porch-front view of a small Colorado town fair.
New to the United States and motherhood, Marie, a painter and school teacher from Eastern...READ ON
New to the United States and motherhood, Marie, a painter and school teacher from Eastern Europe drinks the wonderful spectacle of lights from her porch-front view of a small Colorado town fair.
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Tasting the waters of the great Tennessee River
Tasting the waters of the great Tennessee River
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Hopes and dreams in Boulder, Colorado.
Hopes and dreams in Boulder, Colorado.
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Protecting the home front, Arkansas.
Protecting the home front, Arkansas.
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Burning whats left of a bad memory in West Virginia coal country.
Burning whats left of a bad memory in West Virginia coal country.
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The dark heart that burns bright, Kentucky coal.
The dark heart that burns bright, Kentucky coal.
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Ink to remember, fire and water to forget, West Virginia coal country.
Ink to remember, fire and water to forget, West Virginia coal country.
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Out to the shed, West Virginia
Out to the shed, West Virginia
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Pool halls and cigarettes, Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Pool halls and cigarettes, Bowling Green, Kentucky.
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Cigarrettes and 357's, West Texas.
Cigarrettes and 357's, West Texas.
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The Ski Inn, in Bombay Beach, CA. Once a happening tourist destination, the Salton Sea died from pollution and high salinity leaving only a handful of residents who still call Bombay Beach home.
The Ski Inn, in Bombay Beach, CA. Once a happening tourist destination, the Salton Sea...READ ON
The Ski Inn, in Bombay Beach, CA. Once a happening tourist destination, the Salton Sea died from pollution and high salinity leaving only a handful of residents who still call Bombay Beach home.
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A resident poses for a portrait in the lobby of the San Carlos Hotel. The San Carlos was once the crown Jewel of a bustling downtown Yuma, but as it fell into decay the hotel was eventually turned into an SRO (single room occupancy hotel) and now houses many of the areas elderly, formerly homeless or drug addicted people.
A resident poses for a portrait in the lobby of the San Carlos Hotel. The San Carlos was...READ ON
A resident poses for a portrait in the lobby of the San Carlos Hotel. The San Carlos was once the crown Jewel of a bustling downtown Yuma, but as it fell into decay the hotel was eventually turned into an SRO (single room occupancy hotel) and now houses many of the areas elderly, formerly homeless or drug addicted people.
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The lonely road, Elko Nevada
The lonely road, Elko Nevada
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As far as you can take me, hitchhiking through the Utah high Desert.
As far as you can take me, hitchhiking through the Utah high Desert.
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Stillness born of swaying of Aspen, Colorado.
Stillness born of swaying of Aspen, Colorado.
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Shoot Machine Guns, Arizona desert.
Shoot Machine Guns, Arizona desert.
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Away yonder out west, open prairie, Oklahoma.
Away yonder out west, open prairie, Oklahoma.
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We ride together through wide open spaces into the unknown of a shared future, big sky country, out west somewhere.....
We ride together through wide open spaces into the unknown of a shared future, big sky...READ ON
We ride together through wide open spaces into the unknown of a shared future, big sky country, out west somewhere.....
American, a word which can be proudly bellowed, uttered maliciously, whispered disapprovingly. Few single words across this land have an equivalent power to unite or divide. AmericanDreamscape, is an essay produced on two wheels from ocean to ocean, across mountains and open prairie, searching for the common threads that coalesce the American community. Dreamscape explores the gap between cultural ambitions and the often diminished realities of everyday American life. It inquires into the shared mythology of heading west, pioneering a frontier while carving out individual identities that when combined, create one people.
The content is inspired by a feeling that my cultural background has given me a unique perspective on what it means to be American. Some of my first memories are from crossing the open plains with my family in an old VW bus, headed out west. Its a scene that has played itself out repeatedly throughout our American History, whether it be in a wagon train or an old model-T Ford. Its a uniquely American experience that still visits me in my dreams.
In Dreamscape, I wanted to re-create how I feel in my dreams while bridging the gap between the American reality and American Dreams
Brian L Frank, Documentary Photojournalist
Brian L. Frank creates social documentary projects focusing on cultural identity, social inequality, violence, workers rights and the environment.