Business & Tech

Collinsville Photographer Searches For the American Dream

Tim Brown looks to travel the country and see if it still exists.

 

For decades, some artists have questioned whether the American Dream was as perfect as it seemed. But for Collinsville photographer Timothy A. Brown there is a more fundamental dilemma about the concept Wikipedia defines as the “national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes the promise of prosperity and success.”

Brown, owner of TAB Photographic, wonders if it there’s really any semblance of an “American Dream” left.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

“I don’t know if it still exists but I want to find out,” he said.

And Brown doesn’t just want to discuss the issue, he plans to travel the country and explore city streets, country towns, the back woods, Indian reservations and other places to in search of it. He also wants to document the abandoned factories, hospitals and homes where it once existed.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Brown knows some of what he’s looking for can be found in his own backyard — at the former Collins Company factory.

 “That American dream created this town,” he said.

Brown does plan to include places in Connecticut but feels a much wider viewpoint is necessary. He plans to talk to young and old, the homeless, those with plenty of money and as many people as he can from as different walks of life, cultures and backgrounds.  

"I'm going to search coast to coast, north to south, east and west and interview the lost souls, interview the youth and everyone in between," Brown said in a video explaining the project.

“I don’t want to leave anyone out,” he said during an interview with Patch.

Whatever his conclusions, Brown plans to document the stories by doing what he does best — taking portraits.

Along the way, he will blog, share some photos and provide updates on the project. He will also eventually showcase the work at galleries. But his ultimate goal is something as tangible as the American Dream once was — a large format book with the portraits and stories.

Brown came up with the idea after a few things happened in his life. First he was taking pictures at an old abandoned mental hospital and began thinking about all the stories there.

Later he was headed back from North Carolina with his daughter and passed abandoned after abandoned structure — including factories, storefronts and homes.

“I said to her ‘where did the American Dream go?’” 

To accomplish his goal, Brown is looking for some help and wants to raise $15,933 to help pay for the project. He estimates it will cost $5,000 more than that but said he won’t be able to afford it without the funding.

In hopes of raising the funds, Brown has started a 45-day fundraising campaign through http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tabphoto/capturing-the-american-dream-a-photographic-hunt. The site also contains a video and further description about the project. 

If the money comes in, he’ll be able to go, Brown said. For those who donate, the funds do not actually get charged to them unless all the money is in place by the end of the 45 days. 

Brown plans to break up the work. As a professional photographer he shoots portraits of people and animals as well as weddings. He also has a son and daughter — Morgan, 15 and Maya, 11.

So Brown plans to take 6 or 7 trips, two to three weeks at a time. He will mostly drive, stay in a place for several days, take buses, trains and other modes of transportation in an attempt to gain people’s trust and get to know places. 

He hopes to finish by the spring of 2013. 

Brown is also looking for feedback and suggestions on places to visit, ideas and thoughts on the subject matter. He has set up a sight to blog about the trip and provide updates. He also hopes people will people can provide feedback through the site as well. It can be found at http://www.thebrokenamericandream.com/


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here