How did your series Mors Scena come to be?

When I was a kid I was always fascinated by funeral homes and just the whole spectacle of the funeral as it exists in the American South. I grew up in a small town in Texas. Everyone used the same family-run funeral home and this is where both my grandparents had their funeral viewing and events. When I started making pictures I found myself thinking about the interiors of funeral homes a lot, how it would be an amazing opportunity to be able to make pictures inside these places which are somewhat fading from popular use. The interiors have a Victorian-esque aesthetic, and there is always some kind of theatricality with curtains or stage style lighting, as well as ornate fabrics and dark polished wood. After my Grandmother died I began searching, traveling, looking for these kinds of funeral homes in other states in the US and began making the work.

Were there any challenges that came up while working on this project?

Once I had the first funeral home say “yes” to my inquiry to photograph it was much easier to then use the reference photos made at that first funeral home when I reached out to others. The biggest challenge really was the pandemic. Once people were dying in the hundreds of thousands all over the world I felt very complicated continuing to make these pictures, I just couldn’t reckon with it internally.

What do you want the viewer to take away from this series?

I want the pictures to be familiar, to be strange, to feel staged while at the same time appear like documents. More broadly I hope viewers might begin to think about the role of ritual, theater, and beauty when processing grief.

Describe your creative process in one word?

Impatient.

What motivates you to pursue image-making?

I want to make pictures I haven’t seen before.

What was the last book you read or film you saw that inspired you?

Octavia Butler’s Fledgling. It's about racism and vampires.

What advice would you give to people just starting out in photography?

Find more than one way to make it work for you. In addition to making art, figure out how to take still lifes, portraits, do weddings, etc. Monetize the skills you learn so you can continue to make the art you want to.

What is your favorite music or podcast to listen to?

When I’m in the studio I listen to a lot of post-punk and industrial music.

How do you take your coffee?

I buy local coffee which hopefully I can get roasted no later than a month prior. I grind it right before using it, and use a Chemex (pour-over method). No cream, just coffee.