Carter Gubbins 2026

Abstract

Motion Sickness began in my mind as an excuse to hang out with my friends more. I wanted to live large, do things I was afraid of, and I thought that I could use my camera as an excuse if I made my thesis a documentary project. Over the semester, it transformed into something less sensational, but richer than I could have hoped it to be. I documented the small, quiet, and solitary moments – the way the afternoon sun hit the siding of a house, a child’s painted handprint on a fence, green spring leaves against a gray sky – alongside the exciting club scenes and house parties that I had set out to capture. I leaned into the life I already had rather than continuing to grasp at something out of my reach. This quest for fulfillment culminated in one hundred forty-five photographs, one painting, and three hours of video footage. Using outdated cameras and analog processes, I archived my life, documenting as I lived. The end result is a body of work that is crowded, non sequitur, and filled to the brim with love. Motion Sickness is alive and all-encompassing. I believe this work is the beginning of the rest of my life.