The photo of Berthie in Bed, with the print of Dali's Last Supper (I think that's it) is absolutely surreal.
And, the photo of the young girl on the cover of Appalachian Legacy is one of the most haunting portraits I've ever seen. Reminds me of another portrait taken back in the 50's, by, by, by, I can't remember who it's by right now - Strand? Paul Strand? Momento, while I google it.
Plus, I need more coffee.
-frank
"The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears it is true." -J. Robert Oppenheimer
From: "frank theriault" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE:Shelby Lee Adams-was: Portraits Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 17:10:19 -0500
I'm not sure what to think about Shelby Lee Adams. I haven't gone to the link yet, to see which photos are there, but there has been much criticism of his work by Appalachians, and perhaps with some justification.
He does seem to perpetuate "hillbilly" stereotypes. Mind you, as he says, that he chooses to photograph these particular families and people doesn't mean that he says that every resident of Appalachia is "like them". His choice of subjects does make one wonder if he's going more for something spectacular and sensational than something honest. Which is fine, except that he seems to be putting his work out there as being "honest".
In fact, many of his shots are staged, like the infamous Pig Kill, which was a re-enactment (at his suggestion) of an event that hadn't taken place locally for about 30 years. He even arranged for the pig to be brought in!
All of that being said, his work in and of itself is spectacular and thought provoking. And, staged or not, stereotypes or not, they're "real people" in his photos. He's gotten to know them personally over the past couple of decades, they trust him, they like him, and they approve of his work.
He makes me think (a scary thought! <g>), and that can't be all bad.
cheers, frank
"The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears it is true." -J. Robert Oppenheimer
From: Shel Belinkoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: PDML <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Portraits Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 09:41:39 -0800
Portraits are the next PUG theme, and Amita asked for suggestions and ideas for making her entry.
Last night I was reading about Shelby Lee Adams, and was reacquainted with his work. Stunning, gorgeous portraits that document the lives and the environment of Appalachian friends and families.
I did a quick Google search this morning and came up with a few hits. Here's but one of them:
http://www.lenswork.com/sadams00.htm
Just scroll down and click on the thumbnails to see this fellows extraordinary work. If you've got RealPlayer you can hears some excerpts from an interview with him as well.
I hope some of you get as much from Shelby's work as I do. It's something to aspire to.
Shel
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