Vacationland

Photographic series

2010 – 2011 (ongoing)

Like many expatriate New York urbanites, I moved to the Catskills 20 years ago to escape the stress and confinement of the city and surround myself with the scenic natural beauty and leisure activities of the famous Hudson Valley.  After living here for many years, I slowly grew to realize that my romantic notion of a scenic paradise was an illusion.  Recently I began documenting the daily experiences of my family’s interaction with the landscape as we traveled around our area in the pursuit of happiness.  I was struck by the underlying irony and pathos in our struggle to compete with the forces of nature during our quest for relaxation.

The series evolved as I began discovering poignant moments where the evidence of recreational activities collided with the change of seasons and the constant natural entropy of the growing landscape.  Despite the underlying desperation in our feeble efforts to commune with the romantic myth of undisturbed wilderness, the photos also reveal an unexpected tranquility, beauty and even humor in these isolated moments extracted from living in Vacationland.

To play HD video slideshow on YouTube:  click play, then click on “360p” on lower right to select larger HD sizes “720p” or “1080p”.  Click on the arrows icon next to that to play in full screen: