PHOTOGRAPHIC RETELLINGS OF KENTUCKY URBAN LEGENDS

2022

For my senior capstone project at the University of Kentucky I explored the relationship between urban legends and the spaces from which they originate. The tradition of sharing urban legends spans generations and I aimed to use photography to offer a new perspective on this storytelling practice. By photographing the locations where three Kentucky urban legends are based, and then physically projecting imagery of these legends on top of my photos, I invite audiences to take part in a more active role as they learn about each tale.

This series of photos was created with three primary deliverables in mind: a gallery installation, a short film/video, and/or a portfolio box. Rather than simply hearing one person’s oral retelling of a story that has likely been retold and distorted several times before, the individuals who view these photos will see these locations as they stand today juxtaposed against surreal imagery of the legends that made each location infamous. The process of using photography to tell stories is certainly not a new practice, however introducing a more permanent form of storytelling into the tradition of folklore might offer new opportunities for audiences to engage with each tale.