Franchised Landscape #4, 1997
"Psychologically speaking, living in America and being an American is to experience a profound sense of alienation. Feelings of isolation colour my photographs —that’s what you’re sensing. It’s fascinating: what’s in your mind, heart and soul gets telegraphed onto the film plane and embedded in the photograph. It can’t be avoided."
Through color images of road signs, abandoned factories, strip malls, and gas stations, Jeff Brouws documents a national identity. His personal interpretation of contemporary American culture asks a series of sociological questions. Beyond mere documentation, Brouws comments on the cycle of construction, destruction and regeneration.