Flowery Land: Tales of Hidden Florida
Juan Ponce de León, the famed Spanish explorer, reached the shores of Florida on April 2, 1513. This would become the first successful European voyage to North America. Upon realizing the beauty of the virgin landscape abundant with wild flowers he was inspired to name it: "Flowery Land".
History however, often fails to highlight one very important aspect of the Spaniard's motivations. Although it was not a well known fact until long after his passing, the conquistador and his crew of 200 were secretly on the hunt for the mythical fountain of youth! Today the alleged fountain site is located in a Ponce De León inspired theme park housed in St. Augustine Florida. There, for the small admission price of twelve dollars, one can sample immortality. Visitors report it tastes quite literally like swimming pool water.
Fast forward to present day, America's southern-most state is world renown for It’s tourist destinations. It’s lavish theme parks, pristine beaches, and happening night life scene bring in an estimated yearly influx of hundreds of thousands of tourists. As with any other popular vacation spot there exists a vast schism between the visitor’s experience and that of the locals.
This series is a candid, homey view of the "Sunshine State". Florida as experienced from the eyes of it's average inhabitants. All of the homegrown quirks and idiosyncrasies that are mostly overlooked during a typical visit will be on display. You won't find any bustling beaches filled with basking tanning bodies, or any trace of neon artifice. The subject matter could even be labeled as uneventful at first glance. However, there remains a particular aesthetic quality inherent only to Florida. A certain air of mundane yet colorful kitsch. Like how a snow globe, or some other useless holiday souvenir holds within it a certain “unremarkable” yet also nostalgically magical quality, Florida has its particular tacky charm as well as it’s surreal natural beauty. Lets meet the people that dwell here. Lets journey into the heart of the unseen. As with Ponce de León's chlorinated fountain of youth, lets see what Florida really tastes like.
