"Take Time to Appreciate": The Mississippi Delta Region, 1994–2002
2009; University of North Carolina Press; Volume: 15; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/scu.0.0049
ISSN1534-1488
Autores Tópico(s)American Environmental and Regional History
Resumo"Take Time to Appreciate"The Mississippi Delta Region, 1994–2002 Bruce J. West (bio) Click for larger view View full resolution Mrs. L. V. Hull, 2002. [End Page 48] Click for larger view View full resolution In 1994 Bruce West began photographing the Mississippi Delta and surrounding areas. His interest in documenting the region arose from his ex-wife's love of southern literature and because the South was the only part of the United States he had never traveled. "Although this region was largely a mystery for me," he says, "I quickly became entranced. For me, there seemed to be an almost palpable sense of time and history inscribed in the surface of the land and in the faces of the people I met." West makes simple and direct photographs that address this history, as well as the religion, politics, and geography that have shaped and informed the Delta region, often portraying people enmeshed in their environs. "A lush and exotic landscape—a setting encouraging and supporting heroic transformation—nurtures all endeavors," he says. "These people joyfully forge their identities, often in the face of great adversity and always outside the influences of contemporary media culture." "Take Time to Appreciate" comes from a sign crafted by Mrs. L. V. Hull, a folk artist who paints terse philosophical statements on handmade crosses and discarded pieces of furniture. Hull is one of many people who befriended West during his travels across the South, and her message speaks to what West calls his "primary objective as a photographer." [End Page 49] Click for larger view View full resolution Mr. Fortner, 1994 (above); Click for larger view View full resolution Reverend H. D. Dennis, 1996 (below). [End Page 50] Click for larger view View full resolution Mrs. Blanche Aldrich, 1998 (above) Click for larger view View full resolution and 1999 (below). [End Page 51] Click for larger view View full resolution Mrs. Eliza Clinton, 1999 (above); Click for larger view View full resolution Women at Flag Day, 1999 (below). [End Page 52] Click for larger view View full resolution Michael Posey, 1999 (above); Click for larger view View full resolution Johnny, 2000 (below). [End Page 53] Click for larger view View full resolution Reverend H. D. Dennis, 2000 (above) Click for larger view View full resolution and 2002 (below). [End Page 54] Click for larger view View full resolution Margaret bending, 2002 (above); Click for larger view View full resolution Girl with glasses, 2002 (below). [End Page 55] Click for larger view View full resolution Paul McLeod's "Graceland II," 2003 (above); Click for larger view View full resolution Frank Morehead, 2004 (below). [End Page 56] Click for larger view View full resolution Sonny Boy Williamson's grave. [End Page 57] Bruce J. West Bruce J. West is a photographer and a Professor of Art at Missouri State University. His color photographs are included in museum collections throughout the United States and Europe. Recent exhibitions include shows at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, The Anacostia Community Museum, and the Noorderlicht Photofestival in Groningen, The Netherlands. Copyright © 2009 Center for the Study of the American South
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