I’m so glad you are here. Not only am I grateful that you are graciously spending your time reading my work, I am keenly aware and even more grateful that your presence on this page means you are surviving the worst moments of the current pandemic and all the other upheaval in the world. My hope is that this page contributes to giving you the motivation to continue surviving. Additionally, I hope it helps you to thrive.
As you probably have surmised by now, Joie de Visual, is about joy. I created the term as a derivative of the popular French term joie de vivre, which means the “exuberant enjoyment of life.” Therefore, this page is dedicated to the enjoyment of discovering, musing, assessing and understanding imagery. In so doing, one is able to evaluate the significant and mundane moments of human history with greater insight and clarity. Yes, images are that powerful, and I will use this page to prove it.
My first professional foray into visual analysis came right after my collegiate years, and it was with the Nike athletic brand. At the time, Nike needed someone to edit the text and photos of visual merchandising reports for an in-house platform that was used to evaluate their various projects geared toward consumer outreach. I was hired through a third party entity on what was supposed to be a duration of three months, but the arrangement lasted four years. I will always be grateful for the support, encouragement, and knowledge that came from the opportunity.
These days, I am a professional historian at the end of a PhD, and my work focuses upon the role of imagery in shaping ideas.
As we speak, I am beginning my second research fellowship with the Winterthur Museum. Winterthur is providing assistance with my doctoral work. As you may know, Winterthur is known as the premier institution for American material culture and decorative arts, and they played an integral role in Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy’s renovation of the White House in the 1960s. I am honored to conduct research as one of their Material Culture and Critical Race Fellows this year.
As you know, Critical Race Theory is a lightning rod topic these days, and I will not use this note as a an opportunity to speak thoroughly on the topic. However, I will offer this well-documented caution: CRT is a theory used primarily in law schools to assess bias. It is not a systematic mechanism for teaching hatred of the American nation.
In addition to collaborating with Winterthur, I have the privilege of working with another organization that was seminal to Mrs. Kennedy’s work as First Lady, which is the White House Historical Association. Mrs. Kennedy started the organization, and it has continued as a robust repository of scholarship. The WHHA is in the process of producing a volume in collaboration with the University of Virginia Press and the SMU Center for Presidential History called Mourning the Presidents. Within the volume, I wrote the chapter about the death and mourning of President Zachary Taylor. Once Mourning the Presidents is published, I will be honored to discuss it in more detail with you.
