the messages I tried to send but could not find their way

“The messages I tried to send that could not find their way” is a series of photographs in collaboration with Throughline artist Molly Koehn. The photographs consider the boundaries of cell phone service in rural areas and how unreliable coverage impact access to emergency services. Despite efforts to bolster cell services across the country, Harris’ family property, to this day, has inconsistent cell phone coverage. In rural communities, ambulance services can take an hour (or more) to arrive and so searching for adequate cell coverage to report an emergency can make the difference between life and death. This became a considerable source of worry as my parents aged. In an emergency, how would they call for help? This anxiety became a reality. Though the details of their deaths are inconclusive, would stable cell phone coverage saved my parents’ lives? In these photographs, I imagine the messages my parents might have sent and questions how we might adequately address infrastructure inequity.