Roadkill

Roadkill is a necessity of life if we wish to continue living the way we do. Whether it’s motivated by a lack of brain development or natural instincts, animals wander onto highways, and though we as humans rarely try to run them down, some animals are simply going to get killed. This project is not to critique the pros and cons of the driving culture that we live in, but we must see the consequences of our actions in order to understand how the way we live defines and affects the environments around us.

For most of us, the images of roadkill we see are a faint blur on the side of the road as we breeze towards our destination. The brief glimpse is sometimes enough to make us feel uncomfortable, either through the macabre nature of the scene or a twinge of guilty sympathy for the animal (or both). These photographs, however, reverse the blur and heighten the discomfort. The clarity of the details (the project was photographed with a 4×5 view camera) accentuate the reality of what our actions have on the environment.

Facing and understanding the consequences of our actions can only construct a greater understanding of ourselves and our society, forcing us to contemplate how we should and/or would like to live our lives. Sometime life can be grotesque, nauseating and uncomfortable, but it is still part of life, even though we might choose to keep driving on.

This project was photographed in October-November 2006. All prints are available for purchase. For sizes, pricing or more information, please contact me.