Mike  Smith

Artists Statement: For 28 years I have lived in and photographed East Tennessee. My photographs describe, in a visually poetic manner, the people, land, and the contemporary mountain culture of Southern Appalachia. The work is characterized by its formal rigor and compelling depiction of this southern region. In my work I strive to define the rural landscape as a metaphor for the contemporary culture of rural Appalachia. The land is defined in relation to those who live on it, work it, and rely on its resources. The innate beauty of the hills and hollows resonates as an unwitting setting for a shifting economy. The pictures depict family farms sprouting developments; barns sinking into shadows, once plowed fields shrunk into feeble gardens. Trailer homes crumble and rot, and young woods engulf rusting automobiles driven by deceased grandparents. My pictures demonstrate my personal understanding of this place and contend with the medium of photography as a transparent means to do so.

Main Artist Category: Photography

Qualifying State: Tennessee

Website:

 

Mike  Smith

Click image to enlarge:

Bristol, VA 1996

Carter County, TN 1996

Carter County, TN 2006

Cash Hollow TN

Gray TN 1995

Gray TN 1996

Gray TN 1996

Piney Flats TN 1992

Piney Flats, TN 1987

Unicoi County TN 1998