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Inland Empire

The Inland Empire is an undefinable region in southern California. It can not be found on any official maps of the area, and yet it is a real place, both culturally and geographically. It has long been a place where artists go, in search of inspiration from the unique desert landscape, and where many others go to escape the pressures of living in a capitalist society. Paradoxically, it is also a place where the lines between military and civilian zones are blurry at best. The sounds of ordinance and military aircraft are a common occurrence, due to the close proximity of military bases where soldiers train for desert warfare. Dichotomies of this sort are not unusual in the desert, where even the landscape itself is a contradiction, at once seductive and inhospitable. Exploring this region through photography allowed me to experience first hand its odd mix of beauty and danger, and in doing so, to grapple with my own desire for an escape from modern life.