Shelby Lee Adams

[Rangefinder 35]

Anybody's seen the documentary 'The True Meaning of Pictures: Shelby Lee
Adams' Appalachia '? it follows named photographer into the hollers of Eastern Kentucky, into the houses of families of deformed children, bible-toting snake handlers and poison-drinkers. His prints fetch a high prices, even though, or because his photographs created a controversy, not least among the native Kentuckians.The DVD of the documentary is out of print and hard to find.

 

[Michael Markey]

Never seen that ....sounds interesting.
I have a copy of his book "Salt and Truth".

 

[Bob Michaels]

Anybody's seen the documentary 'The True Meaning of Pictures: Shelby Lee Adams' Appalachia '? ...............

I have seen the documentary and participated in an intelligent classroom discussion debating if his work has journalistic integrity and portrays a true picture of the culture or is merely sensational.

 

[Larry H-L]

Yes, I think I first saw it about 10 years ago, pretty well done, examines both sides of the issue. His images are interesting, but I never cared for his lighting style.

 

[rjschell]

I recommend the facebook page "Humansofcentralappalachia" to cleanse your palette.

 

[Pablito]

if his work has journalistic integrity

no, it does not.

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

no, it does not.

«Capitalist Realism or Poverty Porn?»

😉

 

[Michael Markey]

Yes, I think I first saw it about 10 years ago, pretty well done, examines both sides of the issue. His images are interesting, but I never cared for his lighting style.

I live in the UK so likewise I found the images interesting .
However I know nothing about the culture so don`t feel qualified to make any meaningful judgement as regards representation.

 

[leicapixie]

I have seen the documentary.
I doubt Shelby Lee Adams made big money.
He genuinely liked his subjects, as does Roger Ballen.
The problem for me was the manner of "English".
I needed sub-titles.
People today seem to avoid elderly family, those not perfect.
Adam's subjects took care of their "kith and kin".

 

[JP Owens]

I was left with no doubt that Adams likes his subjects. I'm not sure his subjects completely understood his intent, though, and over time many began to feel they were exploited (whether Adams made money from the project or not). If nothing else, his presence and his camera's presence were a distortion field that changed dynamics in the community of people he covered.

 

[PaulCooper]

I saw it and felt deep compassion for some subjects, like the father taking care of his children with debilitating genetic disorder.

 

[Onemississipp]

Seen it a few years ago, even keep a bookmark, https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/constituents/shelby-lee-adams?all/all/all/all/0

http://shelby-lee-adams.blogspot.com

If you have never been to that part of the country you owe it to yourself to visit, beautiful country.

What many of us look at with disbelief and as substandard living, is the norm in many of those back road places. You have to look at the average yearly income in those places to begin to understand.

I have family in those parts, in-laws, took many years to understand it.

 

[Michael Markey]

What many of us look at with disbelief and as substandard living, is the norm in many of those back road places. You have to look at the average yearly income in those places to begin to understand.

I have family in those parts, in-laws, took many years to understand it.

That`s how I saw it.
Same all over.

 

[seakayaker1]

I saw it 6 or 7 years ago during a photography class. Interesting in the exposure to another piece of Americana, the everyday life of people that is overlooked in mainstream media. There are many part of the US I will never see even though I have traveled to or through most of the states. Being exposed to only bits and pieces never really tells the whole story. His documentary certainly introduced a another way of life for some Americans that does not get much exposure.