Copyright Frances Skyelar Hawkins 2007
| Current Project The Sons of the Midwest Nebraska, in general, is a largely conservative state politically and socially. It has been generalized as a place of hunting, farming and football. There is, however, a unique and eclectic community of drag queens and transvestites who live here who break the stereotypes and the general mold. On specific nights through out the week in downtown Omaha they perform at a local nightclub and play the roles of their other selves, dressed in their cross-gender identities. This project is about photographing contrasts in society in the culture of a conventional suburban Midwest community and expressing contrasting views and documenting the dichotomy and paradigm of one view from another. The people you see in these photographs are from Omaha or surrounding Midwest communities such as Iowa and South Dakota. All of the photographs were made in "America's heartland", Omaha, NE and are printed on black and white 16 X 20 and 11 X 14 archival fiber based paper. This project has been an on-going project for the past year and a half. Upon completion, my goal is to see this in book form. It was exhibited in October 2002 at the Photographic Arts Gallery and Education (PAGE) Center in Omaha, NE. This project is about contrasts and
taking the honesty and confrontational aspect of these peoples lives and
challenging the values and morals of growing up in the suburban Midwest.
Although this alternative lifestyle may be largely hidden from our view,
it is here and it is a part of the fabric of Nebraska. Click here to go to the photographs for Sons of the Midwest. |
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Copyright Frances Skyelar Hawkins 2007 |