Southern Cultures: The Photography Issue

The Cruel Radiance of the Obvious, The 2011 Photography IssueTom Rankin, Guest EditorOur second Photography issue features full-color photographs by William Eggleston, William Christenberry, and much more.CONTENTSFront Porchby Harry L. WatsonIt requires very special talent to make great photographs, and those who have it are among our finest artists.The Cruel Radiance of the Obviousby Tom RankinPhotography in its finest and most decisive moments is about those tired or ignored or unseen parts of our lives, the mundane and worn paths that sit before us so firmly that we cease to notice. It is, we might say, about rebuilding our sight in the face of blindness, of recovering our collective vision.American Studiesby Michael CarlebachMany years ago I concluded that for me truth and beauty, and perhaps wit and wisdom as well, are more likely to reside in what is ordinary and seemingly insignificant. This is, perhaps, a sideways look at America and American culture, but it is one that can produce moments that describe us all, but without makeup and bereft of a spokesperson.Mapping The Democratic ForestThe Postsouthern Spaces of William Egglestonby Ben ChildWhen the color photographs of William Eggleston first appeared at the Museum of Modern Art in 1976, the boldness of Egglestons palette and his disregard for the conventions of black-and-white photography were shocking; nearly all the major critics were scornful, and Ansel Adams wrote a scathing letter of protest.Stereo Propagandaby Lynn Marshall-LinnemeierIn this examination, magic and myth-two of my favorite vehicles-act as buffers to the dominant power structure. It brings together two bodies of collectibles, one personal and one commercial, with the intent of shifting stereotypes about race and southern culture.InterviewThose little color snapshots: William Christenberryinterviewed by William R. FerrisSanta Claus had brought me and my sister a small Brownie camera in the late 1940s, and I just loaded it with color film and went out to that Alabama landscape and began to photograph what caught my eye.Heroes of Hell Hole SwampPhotographs of South Carolina Midwives by Hansel Mieth and W. Eugene Smithby Dolores FlamianoMieth and Smith shared a belief that photography could bring social change. They viewed Pat Clark and Maude Callen as heroic healers whose stories would inspire racial understanding. Both photographers shot powerful images of the most visceral human experiences: birth, death, sexuality, and disease.Women Workingby Susan Harbage PageRough. It is rough being a female.'Not ForgottenThe Day Is Past and GoneFamily Photographs from Eastern North CarolinaBy Scott MatthewsIt is in fact hard to get the camera to tell the truth; yet it can be made to, in many ways and on many levels. Some of the best photographs we are ever likely to see are innocent domestic snapshots.'All eight articles from this issue of Southern Cultures are also available individually as stand-alone ebooks.