A series inspired by the American open road and the pursuit of memories of places one has never been by Sydney-born, Vancouver-based photographer Poppy Steer. Steer is a trans photographer who has always felt a deep pull toward America and the kinds of films they grew up watching with their dad. For Steer, books by Wim Wenders, the 1984 film “Paris, Texas” about an aimless drifter who wanders out of the desert, and the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack are core memories that reflect not only a desire to connect with their father but a version of themselves in Wranglers and cowboy hats. In their 30s, Steer began searching for the America of those films, chasing memories of places that had only ever existed in their imagination. Driving from Canada to California, Steer is no longer a young girl in Sydney, but someone with “the autonomy to move through the world on my own terms”:
“As I drove down the I-5, the landscapes didn’t always match the ones in my head. The roads felt lonelier, more worn down. Diners welcomed me in and called me “sir” from across the room, but I never stayed long enough for anyone to see me up close. I often shot from the car, it’s where I felt safest in the small towns I passed through. It felt like I was watching a new movie this time, unfolding through the windshield. The scenes were warped and dystopian, and I soon realized the feeling of nostalgia I came for was unattainable. It is one thing to grieve a memory of America you have never experienced, but it is another to have your own identity wrapped up in the unattainable place.”
Poppy Steer participated in our 2025 Booooooom Art & Photo Book Award and made our shortlist.