English

Shelby Lee Adams is a well-known and credibly acclaimed American photographer, who has both advocates and critics. He is particularly focused on capturing the Appalachian lifestyle, in areas such as Kentucky, because he wants to give a glimpse of the impoverished lifestyle of his subjects. While it is interesting to see the disparity between our culture and theirs, it’s also shocking to realize that people live like this every day. Although he denies it, Adams’ photographs are frequently seen as exploitive because they create a distorted image of society for his own personal gain. The photographs’ dismal qualities seem to display a lifestyle where the people look distraught amidst a culture of despair. Despite the controversial appearances of his photos, his finished works still make an impression on society, whether it’s a good or bad one. The photographs are professionally done, and they reveal his prowess as an artist and photographer. While the photography of Shelby Lee Adams is widely criticized for being exploitive of the Appalachian culture, it should be valued for its validity in the eyes of his subjects and artistic qualities.
While Adams has been criticized for faking his camaraderie with the people of Appalachia in order to gain their trust, his link to the area cannot be disputed. He was born in Hazard, in eastern Kentucky and after moving around from place to place, he returned to Hot Spot, KY where he attended high school. He accredits his childhood experiences as the inspiration of his photographs. His statement, “When your blood’s connected, and you’re born and raised in a place, you’re always connected”, pretty much sums up the bond he feels with the Appalachian residents. (Roger May) He enjoys taking part in their unique culture and taking part in the town’s festivities. In the film, he documents a sect of the Pentecostal worshippers in Appalachia that partakes in serpent handling. Although he doesn’t follow this religion, Shelby Lee Adams respects the beliefs and is very good friends with the people of the church. The True Meaning Of Pictures further shows Shelby’s bond when he expresses concern after one of his good friends, the head pastor at the church, is bitten by the snake. Shelby visited the hospital regularly to make sure he was getting better.
For the most part, it appears that the many subjects of Shelby Lee Adams’ Appalachian projects have a favorable opinion of Adams and the photographs. In his documentary, it was apparent that the Appalachian subjects enjoyed the portraits that he takes of them. The majority of the locals interviewed pointed out a fondness for Lee because they think his portraits are an accurate interpretation of their life and family. Berthie, the oldest member of the Napier family of Appalachia, is photographed by Shelby Lee Adams and her voice is heard in the documentary. She really seems to get along with Shelby and feels comfortable talking about her daily activities and arduous past-times as a “holler dweller”. In Shelby Lee’s blog, Shelby points out the book he made for the Napier family and the fondness Berthie had for it. She goes on to say that she would keep the book for as long as she lived, tucked under the foot of her bead, “so the boys won’t get e’m and go on sell e’m.”(Shelby Lee Adams) Other locals look upon his photos with such admiration, such as the open funeral casket portrait, because they can recall the memories of a family member and the continuity of life despite so much hardship.
Critics have implied that Adams has made a lot of money from the photos while not paying his models for their part. However, the models in the photographs have not expressed feeling coerced or tricked into posing for Adams, and are pleased with the photograph mementos that he provides. Further, if Adams were to provide monetary compensation for their participation, it could serve as an incentive for them to play a role rather than be themselves. Adams would also have a hard time appropriating his money, because he claims that he only gets enough money from his work to pay for the materials for his next film project. (Qtd. In DE) Despite the support Adams has from his subjects, critics believe he “distorts” the public’s opinion by only focusing on the despair of the Appalachian dwellers. They argue that Adams imposes his own standards on their subjects, thereby limiting the interpretation of the viewers. In support of this claim, it is evident that he stages his subjects and doesn’t encourage them to smile, resulting in photographs that often depict unattractive, even depressed individuals. A.D. Coleman suggests that his work borders the realm of spooky. (Qtd. In De.) Heavily disputed pictures, such as the little blonde haired girl that seems to be frowning as her face is glued to the tattered door screen evokes a sense of darkness and despair. The subject’s sister is appalled by this photo and believes that Shelby Lee Adams is taking advantage of her family and the town she used to live in. She insists that he is made her beautiful sister appear ugly by sandwiching her against the door, and making her look sad. She thinks it’s unfair for the people to be documented this way because their lifestyles appear a lot worse in his photos. (Qtd. In De.)
However, even if this is the case, it can still be argued that Adams’ photographs are still valid forms of art.
According to the author and philosopher Leo Tolstoy, “Art is not, as the metaphysicians say, the manifestation of some mysterious idea of beauty or God; it is not, as the aesthetical physiologists say, a game in which man lets off his excess of stored-up energy; it is not the expression of man's emotions by external signs; it is not the production of pleasing objects; and, above all, it is not pleasure; but it is a means of union among men, joining them together in the same feelings, and indispensable for the life and progress toward well-being of individuals and of humanity. (Explore)

Further, Shelby Lee Adams is a trained artist, with a bachelor’s of fine arts in photography from the Cleveland Institute of Art, masters of photography from the University of Iowa, and masters of fine arts from the Massachusetts college of Art. (“FlakPhoto”) The subject of his photos, the people of Appalachia, has remained consistent throughout his career. His photographs are award winning and are displayed in top museums through the world and are also the focus of four successful books. While he has been criticized for using black and white photography exclusively, this preference from an artistic stand point highlights details, tones, and textures in the photographs. Shelby Lee Adams, repeatedly points out the lighting in his photos, and he uses it to enhance his photos.(Qtd. In De)
His art style is also easily identifiable as he keys on the same subjects and keeps a relatively constant tone in all of his pictures. Shelby’s work is considered southern gothic because he displays a ramshackle civilization with distressed individuals, rotting houses, and sometimes-repulsive situations. The picture of the hog killing is not pleasing to the eye because is not what society is used to seeing. It can be grotesque, as the head lies butchered on the ground in front of a severed body that hangs causally between an Appalachian family. Many people dispute that picture of his like these, should be left uncovered, but Shelby thrives with these types of photos because it embodies an art style he has adopted and won’t let go of.
Shelby Lee Adams is able to uniquely document a disparate lifestyle. He focuses on the family-knit structure in most of his photos, and for the most part the Appalachia people express appreciation for it. Shelby Lee Adams uses some exploitation tactics, but it allows him to tell a story, let his art-form come alive, and to reveal a masked world. Susan Sontag suggests, “Photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it, miniatures of reality that anyone can make or acquire.”(SusanSontag)

Bibliography:
May, Roger. "Looking at Appalachia." Walk Your Camera. N.p., 7 Sept. 2012. Web. 17 Feb. 2013.
Adams, Shelby L. "Shelby Lee Adams - Napier Family Portfolio." Shelby Lee Adams - Napier Family Portfolio. N.p., 18 Feb. 2007. Web. 17 Feb. 2013.
"Explore." Explore. N.p., 24 June 2012. Web. 17 Feb. 2013.
Sontag, Susan. "On Photography." "In Plato's Cave" N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2013.
The True Meaning of Pictures. Dir. Jennifer Baichwal. USA, 2002. Film
"Shelby Lee Adams - Salt & Truth." FlakPhoto. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2013.