I stumbled across an app called "Moment" the other day. It tells you how much time you're spending on your phone, and if you think you're spending too much time on it, you can set a timer. I haven't purchased it yet, but I probably should. However, it made me think how close pop culture is to being sold on the "living in the moment" craze.
That pretty much sums me up. I'm interested in moments and culture. I sacrifice my moments to be on the lookout for your moments. But I rarely see it that way. Trust me when I say this, that I value your moments more than you do.
When I started to get serious about documenting your moments, I came to a dark conundrum: Who do I think I am – invading these people's lives with my camera when I have no idea what that feels like? That's when I started looking at Instagram a little differently. I turned the camera towards my personal life – honest and not withholding.
Most of this work takes place in St. Louis. Literary people would call it a rust belt city. Coastal people call it fly-over country. My old neighbors from the suburbs would call it dangerous. Baseball fans are over-welcomed with a giant TV and ample parking. Jarred Gastreich thinks he could spend a lifetime here.
I'm Jarred Gastreich, by the way. I'd love to hear from you. You know I'm always on my phone, so I have no excuse to not respond in a jiffy.
