Alec Soth, The last snow globe repairman, Northfield, Minnesota, 2012. Courtesy Mack. © Alec Soth
Impala, Canada, 2005. From the series Niagara
Melissa, Flamingo In, 2005. From the series Niagara
Alec Soth is documentary photographer and perhaps the title doesn’t do him justice. His photos don’t just show realities, they open up a space for narration and imagination. Whether they portray open wilderness or human beings, his images depict the U.S.A. we forgot existed. The one that’s far away from East Coast/West Coast urban glamour, hysterical political campaigns, ultra white teeth, drones, police violence and pretty much everything the media describes today to evoke the U.S.A.
Soth has a solo show at the Media Space of the Science Museum in London. Gathered Leaves: Photographs by Alec Soth presents four series: the quiet and nostalgic Sleeping by the Mississippi which i discovered back in 2008 as part of a wonderful exhibition called Heartland at the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven, Niagara which portrays the famous falls and the people drawn to their touristic and romantic appeal, Songbook which looks at the longevity of community activity in the USA but this post will focus solely on Broken Manual, a series that explores the lives of the people who have chosen to live off the grid.
Alec Soth spent five years crisscrossing the country in search for the hippies, hermits, monks, survivalists and other loners who are ill at ease with society. While working on the photo series, Soth discovered communications and manifestos made by these people. Many of the publications are shown in the exhibition space. As for the photos, they respect the life choices of the loners. The men (they are all men!) are either lost in the landscapes or left out of the frame. The photos themselves often don’t have a title. And when they do, it’s an enigmatic one. This series is accompanied by a manual, written by someone called Lester B. Morrison , which serves as a guide for those who are thinking of shunning civilization.
Broken Manual is a compelling work. On the one hand, it communicates anxiety and distress. On the other hand, it paints an alluring escape from everything and everyone who makes living in society challenging.
Broken Manual was also the subject of a documentary by Laure Flammarion and Arnaud Uyttenhove.
USA, 2007. From Broken Manual
USA, 2008. From Broken Manual
USA, 2008. From Broken Manual
USA, 2008. From Broken Manual
USA, 2008. From Broken Manual
USA, 2006. From Broken Manual
USA, 2006. From Broken Manual
USA, 2008. From Broken Manual
Untitled, 2008. From Broken Manual
View of the exhibition space
Other images in the exhibition:
Bonnie, with a photograph of an angel, Port Gibson, Mississippi, 2000. From the series Sleeping by the Mississippi
Crystal, transgender princess, Easter Sunday, New Orleans, 2002. From the series Sleeping by the Mississippi
Michele and James, Niagara, 2004. From the series Niagara
Dave and Trish, Denver, Colorado, 2014. From the series Songbook
Execution of Jerry Martin, Huntsville Prison, Walls Unit, Huntsville, Texas, 2013. From the series Songbook
Alec Soth, Corsicana, Texas. 2013, Corsicana Tumbling Academy. From the series Songbook
Bil Sandusky, Ohio, 2014. From the series Songbook. © Alec Soth
Crazy Legs Saloon, Watertown, New York. From the series Songbook. © Alec Soth
Gathered Leaves: Photographs by Alec Soth is at the Science Museum Media Space until 28 March 2016.
Image on the homepage: Alec Soth, Enchanted Forest (36), Texas, 2006.