Every state in America has its own unique characteristics that shape outsiders’ perceptions: New York is the world’s business epicenter; Texas has cowboys and oil; whilst Alaska is the final frontier.
Our cognitive processing tends to elicit visual symbolisms that are consensual - mention the word “Nevada” and we think of gambling in a desert. But Florida is more complicated. It cannot be conveniently categorised or
boxed. On the coast is Miami, with its tourist beaches, Art Deco, influencers, pop culture and Hispanic soul. Then up the road is Palm Beach with its genteel “Slim Aarons” high-society life of golf,
tennis, bridge and cocktails. The two communities could not be more different in culture and ethnicity.
They only have two things in common: favourable taxes and proximity to America’s Jurassic Park - an untamed
territory that remains primeval and largely closed for business. The swamps of Florida were not made for human life, yet they sit within 30 miles of two of the most evolved and desirable places to live in the world. It is as stark visual dislocation as there can be. In no part of America does the price of real estate fall quicker than when
travelling west from the Atlantic beaches of southern Florida. There are too many insects and far too many dangerous reptiles for sane mankind. The emblematic beast of Florida is the alligator and for the 56,000 students at the University of Florida, life would be different if “Gators” did not exist. The big gators in the swamps are formidable adversaries. This photograph was only captured after considerable research and conversations
with those familiar with the location. The camera was controlled remotely, and no one was in danger during this project. Alligators are much more comfortable living in this part of Florida than humans will ever be. If Florida was fictional, we would laugh at its absurdity. And yet it is very real.