I have been working on an undertaking based on the pop cultural phenomena of five TV series, which bring people of disparate backgrounds together in a common obsession. No matter the upbringing of an individual, he or she becomes immersed in these addictive shows and vicariously lives through the characters, experiencing a common connection with them and other viewers of the show. Orange is the New Black, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead and True Blood captivate the viewer exposing them to deviant characters, immoral conflicts and uncomfortable situations causing them to question their own reality.
Using the format of the motor club / motorcycle gang, I have begun hand tooling a series of leather jackets or “cuts” representative of each show, its specific members and lexicons. Photographing people of all ages, sex, backgrounds, shapes and sizes in the “cuts”, they become invested in my clubs as much as in the shows we watch.
Naranja Nuevo Negro is a part of this series of leather "cuts" and has become an ongoing project based on the Netflix original hit show Orange is the New Black. Although originally intended as one component of a multi-component project, Naranja Nuevo Negro has rapidly grown into something much larger than I could have ever imagined. Having photographed over 200 women, I am currently taking this project celebrating sisterhood, diversity and equality to the road, shooting the different "chapters" throughout the United States.