Pagan Five, 2021
Performance at Atlanta Contemporary Art Center
My Wicked City examines the narrative that led Phenix City, Alabama (my hometown) to be known as the “Wickedest City In America” during the first half of the twentieth century. The story of this sleepy southern town hinges upon key specific practices and crimes, such as the murder of Albert Patterson in 1954, a form of gambling known as “The Bug,” and a mysterious informant named Mr. X. The town’s criminal activity rose rapidly from 1935 until 1954 when the newly elected district attorney, Albert Patterson, was murdered in an alley for campaigning on a promise to clean up Phenix City’s crime. The governor responded to this particular murder by declaring martial law. The U.S. military police replaced the corrupt local law enforcement, and within a year, in a peculiar effort to restore the town’s perceived dignity, The National Civic League awarded Phenix City the All-American City Award in 1956.
This multimedia body of work combines altered found photographs from this era, site-specific images made within the contemporary landscape of Phenix City, and constructed re-enactments that reference both historical photographs and outlandish myths from this bizarre moment in the history of this small town.
A feature documentary film, fiscally sponsored by the Southern Documentary fund, is also currently in production. Tax-deductible donations to the film can be made via the Southern Documentary Fund.
Selected Photographs from My Wicked City, (2014-2023)
