The photographs in GAZE are part of an ongoing project in New York City's Chinatown that explores a world where the reality is often at odds with the idea. This body of work addresses the use of visual elements whose purpose is to entice the casual observer. These posters are meant to invite the viewer in, yet the glass and the darkened entryways keep us at a distance. We deal with a sense of dislocation and information overload. Signs are unreadable. and reflections distort reality. Part of a personal landscape in contemporary Chinatown, they are a mix of familiarity and mystery. They pull us in and keep us out.

GAZE reflects my interest in defining a sense of place in time and memory, and focuses on details in locations that intersect my life. Beginning in 2004, I started working and photographing in Chinatown, which led to a sense of being an insider and outsider simultaneously. There is a juxtaposition of reality and fantasy in a place where the streets and stores are constantly changing. And I continue to find ideas to explore.