Find THE American.
The Only prize is the chance to compete.
In an age where political authenticity is a part of daily discourse, “Find THE American” is a slightly satirical take on the social commentary that surrounds the American identity. “Find THE American” tackles the idea of what it means to be American by identifying real stories about real American citizens that are more common than one may think. This installation piece seeks to challenge the idea that any singular individual's experience in our country is more authentic than any other, and it seeks to validate these diverse experiences through a gameshow-esque lens reminiscent of popular programs like “The Dating game” or “The Price is Right”.
Below you’ll find intros to a few of our many fabulous contestants
*Contestant #10554 is 8 years old and is enjoying her school's sports festival in the gymnasium. She’s only just removed her shoes and climbed into the bounce house she’s waited so patiently to play in since she saw it go up yesterday. She’s only a few bounces in when a special announcement plays over her school's intercom system. Her Teacher shows a slight look of worry on her face as she pulls everyone from the bounce house and leads everyone out of the gym with such haste that Contestant #10554 and any of her other classmates don't even have time to grab their shoes and socks.
*Contestant #955 Is 21 years old and has been serving for a little over two years in the United States Army. Contestant #955 has an uncle who also decided to enlist and serve years ago when HE was fresh out of high school. He was a Marine for 18 years until he was honorably discharged following complications from an injury that he received while serving. Contestant #955 doesn't have a relationship with his father so it means a lot to him that he can serve his country just like his uncle did.
*Midway through production of this piece, Contestant #955 was killed in the line of duty. With respect to his family his cause of death will not be disclosed.
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*Contestant #612 is all about family. He grew up in a household of six which included his mom, step-dad, two brothers, and older sister. Because of this, he prides himself on being community oriented and never fails to volunteer locally, go to church every weekend, and speak to his mom and siblings every day. Contestant #612 and his wife have recently welcomed their 2nd child to the family. In their family of four things can get pretty expensive pretty fast. Contestant #612 normally picks up at least 10 hours worth of overtime each week to ensure he could keep up with ever growing costs like rent, food, and utilities, but because of his families new arrival he has decided to quit his job as a security guard at a local bank and is currently in his 3rd week of training as an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Officer.
*Contestant #22 Is currently undergoing his 4th round of chemotherapy. Contestant #22 is having a harder time than he thought he would at this stage of his treatment. For his advanced stage of cancer the doctors tell him it's normal and assure him that every possible measure will be taken to guarantee that he is well taken care of. Contestant #22 worked for 20 years at a local farm operating weed and pest sprayers. After that job, he spent 12 years in janitorial services. Seeing as how contestant #22 does not have adequate health insurance, his family has started a “Go Fund Me” for the medical expenses. Their united efforts have raised a substantial amount of money, but seeing as how it doesn't seem to cover most of the costs for his treatment, the hospital's case manager has agreed to meet with Contestant #22 and his family about “next steps”.
*Contestant #499 was not born in the United States. Contestant #499 entered the country illegally when they were in their early teens, but through an extensive court process they were granted a withholding of removal and for a few years attended check-ins as required. Contestant #499 has been regularly employed in capacities such as housekeeping and janitorial services, for about 18 years. She was recently detained by ICE agents in spite of having no violent criminal history. Her only civil dispute being an eviction she received a few years ago for failure to pay rent. One night ICE agents cornered her in the store room of a hotel where she works as a custodial service member. Her family hasn't spoken to her in 9 days.
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit...
Often shoes are the unspoken first impression we recieve from a stranger. Shoes are synonymous with an individual's tastes, profession, physical or even mental condition. I’ve explored the complexities of these “contestants” through their footwear (or in some cases lack thereof) as a means to express the deepest levels of empathy. No need to walk a mile in someone's shoes when they’re almost eye level..