Primary Colors

• Photographer
  T.J. Kirkpatrick, United States
• Website
  http://www.tjkphoto.com

‘Primary Colors’ aims to be an antidote to the 24-hour news
machine, where subtlety does not exist and complex issues are
addressed through stereotypes. Remove the campaign signs or
t-shirts and it becomes difficult to tell by looking at someone
where they stand on the political spectrum. It’s too easy to
dismiss someone with a different viewpoint as ‘the other’ or
even ‘the enemy’ before they are given a chance to explain why
she or he sees the world differently. Americans live in a
polarized nation—coastal elites vs. flyover states, immigrant vs.
citizen, conservative vs. liberal—and every time we fail to honor
the other side’s complexity and nuance, we drive each other
farther apart. If our country is to survive, it is vital that we look
‘the other’ in the eye and come to understand their point of
view. N.B. - all images were created with instant film.