Cain and Abel

In 2008 Philip-Lorca diCorcia began the (still unfinished) series East of Eden, of which Cain and Abel is part. Inspiration for this series comes from the 9/11 attacks as well as from the economic and political climate toward the end of George W. Bush’s presidency. The title of the series refers to Genesis, and even more directly to John Steinbeck’s novel East of Eden (1952), which deals with various biblical themes and situates these in early twentieth-century Salinas Valley. In Cain and Abel a homosexual couple embraces each other at the edge of a bed, while a naked pregnant woman – a modern-day Eve – appears in the background. Due to the embrace of these men, the story of the two sons of Adam and Eve is portrayed in a simple yet ambiguous manner.