Project NOLA: Under the Bridge, 2014
Project NOLA was an investigation into homelessness, hunger, and nutrition. It targeted the homeless population living under the bridge in New Orleans, Louisiana. I questioned what access this population had to food and its nutritional value. In response I made fifty handmade plates and passed them out to the people living under the bridge. The plate was a catalyst acting as a gift to mediate the space between their reality and myself as the outsider. The practice of giving food to the homeless is common, but I questioned the nutritional value of the food being given. In order to execute the project I needed to know more about food access so I reached out to the New Orleans Rescue Mission who put me in contact with staff members Christopher and Daniel. They were instrumental in implementing this project and answering questions. Initially I asked, “what do the people eat?” They informed me that the mission, and other similar organizations typically provide sandwiches, canned, and processed foods. Because of this, I deliberately chose to provide whole food options to accompany the plates.
This project developed after years of visiting my husband Forrest who was attending graduate school in Louisiana. As we transitioned into the role of a local we became less interested in the tourist activities and the beignets that made the place famous. I developed an interest in the homeless population and had a desire to meet and engage in conversation with questions surrounding food. I traveled to New Orleans in May 2015 with fifty handmade plates each with a unique design that was reminiscent of my time in the city. The designs for the plates were based on the architecture, ironwork, culture, and the geography of the historic city. Stamped on the back of each plate was a quote intended to spread love such as, “love with everything you have” and “love each other deeply.” Forrest and I worked together passing out the plates, food, cameras, prepaid mailers, and shared the idea with each person that we met.
During distribution I shared my questions regarding what they ate and where the food comes from. I asked each person to consider recording food from his or her perspective through a disposable camera that I provided. The cameras gave each individual the opportunity to record their life, personal food story, and hunger from a homeless perspective. This project encompasses the larger social concerns of homelessness and hunger but simultaneously brought the reality and authenticity of these people as real members of society into focus. My past projects have been an attempt to bring awareness to the food we eat and where it comes from. In this situation (Project NOLA), where your food comes from, carries a different meaning in questioning if food is available. The project documentation is available online through photographs, writing, and a blog at projectnola.wordpress.com.
This project developed after years of visiting my husband Forrest who was attending graduate school in Louisiana. As we transitioned into the role of a local we became less interested in the tourist activities and the beignets that made the place famous. I developed an interest in the homeless population and had a desire to meet and engage in conversation with questions surrounding food. I traveled to New Orleans in May 2015 with fifty handmade plates each with a unique design that was reminiscent of my time in the city. The designs for the plates were based on the architecture, ironwork, culture, and the geography of the historic city. Stamped on the back of each plate was a quote intended to spread love such as, “love with everything you have” and “love each other deeply.” Forrest and I worked together passing out the plates, food, cameras, prepaid mailers, and shared the idea with each person that we met.
During distribution I shared my questions regarding what they ate and where the food comes from. I asked each person to consider recording food from his or her perspective through a disposable camera that I provided. The cameras gave each individual the opportunity to record their life, personal food story, and hunger from a homeless perspective. This project encompasses the larger social concerns of homelessness and hunger but simultaneously brought the reality and authenticity of these people as real members of society into focus. My past projects have been an attempt to bring awareness to the food we eat and where it comes from. In this situation (Project NOLA), where your food comes from, carries a different meaning in questioning if food is available. The project documentation is available online through photographs, writing, and a blog at projectnola.wordpress.com.
