Has the winter cold got you thinking about an escape to southern climes? Two solo shows in the Main Gallery at the Griffin Museum of Photography will take you there, but it may not be the trip you imagined. While the “Mississippi Delta” pictured by social documentary photographer Magdalena Sole recalls the vibrancy, warmth and chaos of her native Barcelona (as well as her work in Cuba), her subjects reveal the rife contrasts and racial divide endemic to the American birthplace of the Blues.
“Mississippi 662, Duncan, MS, 2012” from the series “When Morning Comes” by Brandon Thibodeaux (courtesy of the artist and Griffin Museum of Photography)
In his soulful series “When Morning Comes”, Brandon Thibodeaux turns a yearning eye to the pride and struggles of poor African Americans in the agriculturally rich Mississippi Delta. Although Sole and Thibodeaux’s superlative photographs were created in the same region over a similarly recent period, contrasts abound, creating a lively exhibit that can be viewed through March 1, 2015.
From the series “Mississippi Delta” by Magdalena Sole (courtesy of Sous Les Etoiles Gallery, NYC and the Griffin Museum of Photography)
What struck me most about Magdalena Sole’s work is how the purely visual aspects of her photographs seem to contradict their deeper meaning. “Mississippi Delta” is shot in reverberating color, featuring warm and uplifting hues, while her frames suggest just enough of a narrative to make her subjects’ situations seem daunting at best.
From the series “Mississippi Delta” by Magdalena Sole (courtesy of Sous Les Etoiles Gallery, NYC and the Griffin Museum of Photography)
The Delta is racially segregated but, black or white, Sole documents a hard-scrabble lifestyle, catching everyday activities that revolve around front porches, pool halls and fried chicken joints. Her sharply focused viewpoint seems detached, in a non-judgmental sort of way, but it adds to the bleakness of her work. I found that it is the colors, her wonderfully composed and juxtaposed pigments, that supply the vibrant richness to her imagery.
“James ‘Dance Machine’ Watson, Jr., Alligator, MS, 2009” from the series “When Morning Comes” by Brandon Thibodeaux (courtesy of the artist and Griffin Museum of Photography)
Brandon Thibodeaux’s B&W portraits of the Delta’s African-American inhabitants are as personal as Sole’s journalistic pictures are impartial. In contrast to Sole’s quick and compact Leica rangefinder, Thibodeaux shot with a medium-format twin lens system that required deliberation and the tacit collaboration of his subjects. The resulting images engage the viewer not only with their brilliant tonal range and striking composition, but with a depth of field that draws the viewer into a deeper interaction with Thibodeaux’s subjects.
“Boy, Duncan, MS, 2009” from the series “When Morning Comes” by Brandon Thibodeaux (courtesy of the artist and Griffin Museum of Photography)
Thibodeaux’s imagery is arresting in its beauty but the distinguishing characteristic of his work is it’s big heart. Even his occasional landscapes convey symbols of faith. Thibodeaux possesses that rare ability to bring out the dimensionality of his subjects, allowing us to experience the co-existence of humility with pride, resilience amidst poverty and, ultimately, the “faith, identity and perseverance common to us all.” These photographs exude affirmation and an unflinching hope that is as uplifting as the circumstances are dire – a remarkable achievement.
“Christmas Angel, Mound Bayou, MS, 2010” from the series “When Morning Comes” by Brandon Thibodeaux (courtesy of the artist and Griffin Museum of Photography)
It’s a real treat to have both Sole and Thibodeaux exhibiting head-to-head in the Main Gallery at the Griffin Museum. It offers an opportunity to experience not only their different photographic styles and accents, but creates a dynamic interaction that makes this show exciting and fulfilling. With two such distinctive and compelling visions, this is a southern sojourn worth making.
To learn more about this exhibit, go to: http://www.griffinmuseum.org/blog/exhibits-griffin-museum-of-photography/
Magdalena Sole’s work appears courtesy of Sous Les Etoiles Gallery, NYC
Feature image: From the series “Mississippi Delta” by Magdalena Sole (courtesy of Sous Les Etoiles Gallery, NYC and the Griffin Museum of Photography)
From the series “Mississippi Delta” by Magdalena Sole (courtesy of Sous Les Etoiles Gallery, NYC and the Griffin Museum of Photography)
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