Emilio, Omaha, NE

Located on the border of Nebraska and Iowa, Omaha has become, in many ways, the epitome of ‘Heartland America’. For the last fifteen years, Gregory Halpern has been documenting life in Omaha, steadily compiling a lyrical, if equivocal, response to this mythic American Heartland. The series explores notions of cognitive dissonance and unexpected harmonies, playing on a sense of simultaneous repulsion and attraction to the place. Halpern’s photographs depict the complexity and contradiction of the city, its communities and their traditions. He has photographed boy scouts and marching bands as well as Omaha’s landscapes and infrastructure, creating a nuanced and intricate anthology of place.