Click on first image to view this series as a slide show.
The Happy Baby, '88
Bob and Gail with Baby, 1999
Junior, Rosa Lee and Baby, 1985
__________________________________________________
Christina and Baby, 2011
[Christina at age 7 in photo below.]
The Newsome Children, '97
[Christina, far left.]
As published in "Appalachian Legacy," '98.
___________________________________________________
Father and Son, '82
Pistol City
[Published in "Appalachian Legacy,'98"]
Wayne and Family, 1999
_____________________________________________________
Noble's Porch, '99
[Lloyd Dean located in middle of composition behind grandson.]
Published in, "Appalachian Lives," 2003
Lloyd Dean with Brother Lewis, 2008
Lloyd Dean with grandson's holding promo brochure for "salt and truth,'' June 2011.
[Adam, in middle holding herbal roots from root digging.]
Published in, "Appalachian Lives," 2003
[Adam, in middle holding herbal roots from root digging.]
________________________________________________________
Eddie Wayne in Living Room, '10
[Nora's son]
[Nora's son]
Nora's Bedroom, '95
[Eddie Wayne, Nora's son, photo made in Living room of mother's home 15 years later.]
______________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
As Krishnamurti taught, the observer is the observed; when that is found, there is no longer conflict
between the viewer and the image. As the Gnostic Jesus said, “The kingdom is
within you and it is without you. If you do not know yourself, then you are in
poverty and you are poverty.” Our original mountain settlers came from a proud and
independent spirit; made up of diverse peoples and they never considered themselves
living in poverty. My books have become valued
keepsakes in the homes of many participants over generations. We know each
others backgrounds and we exchange and embrace confidences as all families do. The
people photographed confirm, this culture values blood kinships and friendship,
towering significantly over materialistic concerns.
Shelby Lee Adams
We Are Still One People
2013
_____________________________________________________
Martha and Kizzie with Recycled Water Bottles, '09
The Purse, '05
The Joseph's Porch, '94
________________________________________________________________
Dan, Cassy and Leddie, '93
[Leddie on far right.]
Shelby and Dan
Photographer, Charlotte Ostervang
Dan, "Driving Straight To Hell," 1998
Photographer, Charlotte Ostervang
____________________________
Tyler and Sheba, '01
Sheba Asleep, '07
_____________________________________________
Belinda and Martha, Oct. '07
Girl's in Onion Patch, '04
Freddie's Place, '04
Vanessa, Oct.'07[Standing in front of Great Grandmother's Photo]
[Sam was 102 years old when this photo was made.]
[Published in "Appalachian Portraits," '93]
When you come from the head of the hollers and leave for whatever purpose, you eventually gravitate back to your starting place, to observe and study finding a more all encompassing perspective, moving forward; from what some deny. That world may be inhabited by the shunned, neglected or even arrogant; that rumble with contradictions and self deceptions, but that is your home, your true voice and your vision. Your strength lies within your recognition of these people, the ignored who speak, cry, lament, love and beg you to say - I exist, even when they deny you.
Shelby Lee Adams
August 2007
Attention
We need an unprejudiced mind to see what-is; we cannot see what-is and respond to it if the mind is trying to change or suppress it. We resist what-is because we are afraid of the unknown, or because what-is contradicts what we have been conditioned to believe, or because it threatens us. The resulting fear prevents us from accepting what-is. Resistance to what-is may look like strength, but actually arises from fear, whereas it is powerful and freeing to accept what-is.
Surrender means allowing life to happen rather than opposing the flow of life, accepting the present moment without resistance. The necessary action will then arise, but when we act out of acceptance rather than resistance, we act without negativity or judgment. Action that arises out of acceptance is different from action that arises out of rage and hatred. Action that arises from a state of surrender is less contaminated with judgment and the need to hurt others. We simply do what needs to be done without labeling the situation as good or bad according to the ego’s criteria.
Lionel Corbett
Psyche and Sacred
Barwick, 1997
Wasp, 05
Wasp, '10
Pool Hall, 1999
Brenda, '04
4x5 Polaroid studies made with Brenda before exposing film.
Polaroids damaged by rain.
James and Clapper, '06
_______________________________________________________
The Divide
Leddie with Children, 1990
[Published as cover, "Appalachian Portraits," 1993.]
[Published as cover, "Appalachian Portraits," 1993.]
[Published in "Appalachian Lives," 2003.]
________________________________________
__________________
___________________________________________
____________
Lloyd Dean with Grandson's and pool table, '06
[Published in "Appalachian Lives," 2003.]
Published 2008
[Published in "Appalachian Portraits, 1993.]
[age 90]
Photo of Shelby and John together made in 2007 at John's home, Busy, Ky.
Kate, 103 Year's Old, '86
“You couldn’t buy a job back in the depression. I went to
work when I was 20 years old. I was lucky if I made a dollar a day. I thought
more of my family than myself. I couldn’t get work back here in the mountains.
I had to go look off from here, to Indiana.”
“They’s’ a lot of money in circulation now. Young People can
do what they want; the government keeps money in here now. It go’s on today.
They’s’ men making a hundred dollar’s a day and can’t make it. They’s’ just bad
management, each day making money. I just can go so far, with men like that.
I’m on a fixed income.”
John McIntosh
Bert with Jesus Picture's, 1992
Contact sheet above from, 1992, "Bert with Jesus Picture's," After several 4x5 Polaroids were made I began exposing the above scanned 4x5 film, first I asked Bert to hold something that was close to him, something precious, we made a couple images with his guitar, then he just wanted to stand, followed by sitting in chair, the last sitting in chair photo was the one I selected to make a final print. In that photo Bert was joking with his niece about having his photo made. The last two images [far right] are what I call my community service work, making photos of family for their uses. I hope to find and post soon the original Polaroids first made.
Mitchel and Dallas,'08
The Reception, 1999
[Roy and Nadine's Wedding]
“If it’s your worse enemy and they come to your door and ask
for food, feed them. You can go back to fightin’ later, stop to feed them
first.”
—Mildred,
Hindman
“You have a chance to tell our stories, something we can
never do, something’ we could never have an opportunity to do. If it was easy,
you wouldn’t be interested in doin it! It just wouldn’t get done, but, you can
tell our stories and that is our history and it shows times changed.”
—Sherman,
Carrie
Truth
“The Stories get past on and the truth gets passed over. As the sayin goes. Which I reckon some would take as meanin that the truth cant compete. But I don’t believe that. I think that when the lies are told and forgotten the truth will be there yet. It don’t move about from place to place and it dont change from time to time. You cant corrupt it any more than you can salt salt. You cant corrupt it because that’s what it is. It’s the thing you’re talking about. I’ve heard it compared to the rock-maybe in the bible-and I wouldn’t disagree with that. But it’ll be here even when the rock is gone.”
“You were doin something for folks that couldnt do it for theirselves.”
“I think the truth is always simple. It has pretty much got to be. It needs to be simple enough for a child to understand. Otherwise it’d be too late. By the time you figured it out it would be too late.”
Cormac McCarthy
No Country For Old Men
© Shelby Lee Adams, 2010-13
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by fines and federal imprisonment.
All photographs and text copyrighted - © 1999-2013 Shelby Lee Adams, legal action will be taken to represent the photographer, the work taken out of context, subjects and integrity of all photographic and written works, including additional photographers published and authors quoted. Permissions - send e mail request with project descriptions.
