Appalachia is a north-south region in the eastern United States, for those not from the US or unfamiliar with the term. There’s a map later in the post.
I love viewing photographic books of a region or culture. But if I want a book of Appalachian images, with a few exceptions, my choices are limited to: nature, artisans and craftsmen, and scenes of severe poverty.
My intent is not to slam those who photograph Appalachia. I love you guys. Some powerful and compelling work has been made here over the years. I’m upset at the lack of variety and repeated publications of the same subject (like barefoot children on dirt floors or what’s left of a front porch). It is not representative of the whole of Appalachia, but it is treated as such.
I live in Maryland, but I was born in the heart of Appalachia, pretty much where Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia meet. I’m writing this post from Dad’s house, not that far from where many of those images of poverty are made.
I added the “I am here” heart. (That $100,000 I spent on art school was not wasted after all!)
I can take you literally a few miles from Dad’s home, and show you scenes resembling the much-publicized poverty images. On the way, we will pass the home of a local businessman who owns a helicopter and a heliport with a cool James Bond-like sliding platform. The floor slides out from the enclosed hangar space for take-offs and landings.
You’ll see homes ranging from shacks to mansions. A rusty old truck cadaver will be found next to a new luxury car. Successful local businesses will be scattered in between businesses barely hanging on, and others boarded up and abandoned. We’ll go through high-tech corridors and no-tech corridors. It’s all Appalachia.
By the way, I’m convinced that people here pronounce “Appalachian” correctly. They live in the Appa-LATCH-en Mountains. In the early 16th century, Native Americans called the mountainous region, “Apalachen”. So if you lived there, you were considered Apa-lach-en. The entire region is called Appalachia, as in, Appa-LATCH-eh, not Appa-LAY-she-uh.
I had multiple pairs of shoes growing up here. Sometimes I even wore a pair! I even had a dirt bike and a vertical skateboard ramp. I am just as much a reflection of Appalachia as the less fortunate who can’t afford shoes, or those who can afford little gold-plated, diamond-encrusted shoes for their pets.
Put up or shut up? Fair enough. Twenty-five years ago, I left home to pursue an engineering career. If things work out as we hope, my wife, Alane, and I will move back to West Virginia in 2012. We’re not sure if the move will be permanent or temporary, but for the time I’m back here, I want to do my part in destroying the myth of Appalachia, if only to start a new one.
At times, the beauty here is better than we’ve been led to believe. Truthfully, the worst is sometimes more disturbing than any poverty poster child image. There are enough truths and half-truths in this region to take up several lifetimes of fiction and nonfiction writing or image making.
Most of the people who call this place home live somewhere between beauty and poverty. They can see both from right here. That’s life in the heart of Appalachia.
Of course I’ll use wet plate collodion. What else is there?
You need to check out WV Living magazine, which has been tearing down misconceptions and perceptions about West Virginia for years. Beautiful photography–no impoverished barefoot children here! Visit wvliving.com. The magazine is sold in more than 25 states and in Canada.
Nikki, thanks for the comment. I’m aware of (and appreciate) your magazine. Thanks for carrying the torch.
The origins of this post was actually something I experienced during my MFA studies a few years ago regarding the publication of a fine art photography book on Appalachia. Same type of images that I’d seen before, and same response from the fine art galleries and museums (moving… touching… compelling….).
I made the comment to my instructor that I grew up there too, and I had shoes and a real floor. His response was the seed of this post: Then it’s your responsibility to do something about it.
That said, I support the visual artists who do those images. I believe that there is no real truth in photography.
Thanks again for reading.
Todd
Good luck with your upcoming mission/objective. Of course, the area needs more jobs and higher-paying jobs. This in itself would do a lot in beginning to destroy the myth.
Diane: Thanks! I agree with your comment. That would be an excellent way to destroy the myth from within. By the way, I love your blog and am looking forward to following your work.
Great read!
I actually was born and raised in Wise Va…and had family that I would visit in Wayne WV (I believe thats fairly close to your “heart”)…
Thanks very much Rich! I knew there was something special about you, beyond your obvious photographic talent!
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I don’t know man, I’m a Southerner, and the Appalachia/Southern distinction is not always clear, so I feel I can comment on this. I agree, the stereotypes get annoying. I grew up, if not rich, pretty privileged. But at the same time, do you ever feel like stereotypes are all we have left? The Deep South and Southern Appalachia are a culture that is more distinct than simple geographical differences around the country. Even though poverty is not near what it used to be, it is a major part of what made our culture what it is. By the way, this very much includes African-Americans as well as whites. But the decrease in poverty brings people from the rest of the country. Not that they aren’t welcome, but at such a large level it can be destructive to an identity. This is not a problem in the highlands as much as the lowlands, but if the economy in Appalachia improves, it will be.
Jay, thanks for the comment. Sorry I’m just getting around to responding. It seems like one of those big picture/seeing trees instead of the forest kind of things too. We all summarize and categorize a region or culture, but when we travel through that area, we find people with a mix of attributes – some that prove the stereotype, and others that destroy it. Thanks for reading!