In “Dreams of America” Lena Herzog’s subjects–Americans–live through, and act out their dreams of self, their country’s history and hopes for the future. Can one capture dreams in a photograph? Each day, as we move through the world, we give ourselves away, revealing our inner lives. Dreams can be photographed, manifested in the ceremonious exhibition of ourselves.

Over the past fifteen years, Herzog made it her work to create catalogues of such manifestations around the world. Her first three books of photography dealt exclusively with this subject in Spain, India and Tibet. In these countries, the ceremonies are almost exclusively historical. Here, in the United States, the ritualized costumes and rites are projected as much to the future as they refer to the past.

Having grown up in Russia, Herzog immigrated to the United States in 1990. Her work is an ongoing exploration of her still new home in all its elusive beauty, disappointment, magic and mystery. “Dreams of America” is a work in progress.

Lena Herzog is an internationally recognized fine art photographer who develops and prints all of her photographs from negatives.