Facing Change Collective and the Library of Congress to Cooperate
Facing Change Collective and the Library of Congress to Cooperate
1 minute read
Russell Lee's photograph of men saying grace before a barbeque dinner at the New Mexico fair. Pie Town, New Mexico, October 1940, which Suau chose as an example of what inspires him about the work of the FSA photographers. "Oddly enough," he says, "as primarily a black and white photographer, I chose a color photograph, first of all because I simply love this image but also as a sentimental tribute to my newly lost old friend, Kodachrome."Russell Lee / FSA / Library of Congress
Earlier today, the Facing Change Collective of Photographers announced a deal with the Library of Congress to cooperate on the development of the photography produced by the collective. Founded by Pulitzer-prize winning photographers Anthony Suau and Lucian Perkins, Facing Change also incorporates work from Stanley Greene, Alan Chin, Brenda Ann Kenneally, Carlos Javier Ortiz, David Burnett, Debby Flemming Caffery, Danny Wilcox Frazier and Andrew Lichtenstein. The inspiration for the deal came from the fact that the Library of Congress is the repository of the work produced by the photographers of the Farm Service Administration. Inspired by that work, the photographers of Facing Change set out to provide a record of what America looks like today, as it faces a new kind of economic uncertainty.
In honor of the signing of the deal, LightBox asked each of the photographers of the Facing Change collective to choose a photograph from the original FSA archive, and discuss how it has influenced their own work. In the first installment of what will be an ongoing series, Anthony Suau describes his passion for a photo by Russell Lee.
Russell Lee's photograph of men saying grace before a barbeque dinner at the New Mexico fair. Pie Town, New Mexico, October 1940, which Suau chose as an example of what inspires him about the work of the FSA photographers. "Oddly enough," he says, "as primarily a black and white photographer, I chose a color photograph, first of all because I simply love this image but also as a sentimental tribute to my newly lost old friend, Kodachrome."
Russell Lee / FSA / Library of CongressPeople line up to enter the NYCHires Job Fair at the Radisson Martinique On Broadway Hotel, New York, New York
February 24, 2010.
"The main thing I found most inspiring about the FSA photographers is the way they photographed the faces of the American people with such dignity," Suau says, "regardless of their personal situation. Respect is almost always paid to the subjects; the people in the photographs appear strong and steadfast. Often the subjects are so beautiful that you can view them again and again without them losing their magnetism or appeal. But they are not sentimental or glossy, as portraits today can be.
Anthony Suau / FacingChange.orgThe Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Forum, held by the St. Petersburg Bar Association, St. Petersburg, Florida, November 13, 2010 was attended by those who have questions and may be in a problematic situation, as well as lawyers, lenders and consultants.
Suau: "During a recent meeting between Facing Change and the Library of Congress, the director for Collections and Services Jeremy Adamson spoke of history and how important it was for us to be responsible for capturing this moment in time in America. It was a reflection that struck us profoundly - the way that the FSA images established a visual connection to that moment in time."
Anthony Suau / FacingChange.orgAuto union leaders and union members who recently lost their jobs in the Fiat/Chrysler merger hold a demonstration outside the North American International Auto Show at the Cobo Center in Detroit, January 16, 2010
Suau: "Over the years, I have often thought about history and its relationship to photography, but now is the time to consider this idea with each curve in the long road ahead. The relationship with the Library of Congress, and my chance to work with Facing Change is an opportunity that dreams are made of. It is a unique chance to explore America and document its history in these times of political and economic uncertainty and mark this moment in American history with images and a vision that will be held indefinitely alongside the work of the FSA masters at the Library of Congress. As a photographer it does not get any better than that."
Anthony Suau / FacingChange.org
