City Upon a Hill is an editorial project that explores the lives and hopes of the people in the United States of America. Pairing in situ portraits with ‘storytelling’ interviews, City Upon a Hill seeks to let audiences meet and know people they might never otherwise encounter.
Portraits are constructed in the subject’s own space and they are interviewed with open-ended prompts to allow them to present themselves as they wish to be seen and heard. Only two questions are repeated with every subject: “Who are you?” to begin the interview and “What is your hope for the future?” to conclude it. Their answers to the closing question form the unifying foundation of the project.
Series within the project are organized around both geographical community (e.g., ‘The Big Apple’, ‘Motown’) and personal identity (e.g., veterans, sex workers). I envision this project continuing for my entire career with a hope that it will form a record of both the specific time and place of my encounter with the subject as well as a record of progression and change within the people of the United States.
The digital presentation of the project with full interviews are viewable at cityuponahill.us.
