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#11
ESSAY
April 2021
men of mississippi
simon brann thorpe
The southern states in America represent a road trip into an anachronistic and unflinching legacy of difference and survival against many odds.
In search of narratives based on a legacy of “The wrong side of the tracks”, a phrase which continually echoed in my mind throughout an unscripted visual meandering through the back roads of Mississippi and Louisiana; along the Mississippi River.
The resulting works explore the invisible line between people and their raw and visceral divides—political, racial, and ethnic—and the enduring legacy of Civil war, rural hardship, fear of God, and a sense of loneliness.
SIMON BRANN THORPE is a photographer and filmmaker known for his cinematic landscapes and intimate portraiture. Thorpe’s distinct reflective style is informed by his explorative nature and fascination with identity, landscapes and creative drive. His work evokes a deep connection with both the viewer and subject, creating a rare and powerful engagement. Receiving a 2015 IPA Book Award for ’Toy Soldiers’, his publication gained further recognition with nominations including the global Prix Pictet award in 2016. Alongside photography, Simon’s notable film work includes the 2019 portrait documentary ‘Spider’, selected for the New York City Independent Film Festival and The Impact Docs Awards. Simon's documentary feature debut ‘Follow The White Rabbit’ is currently in production and due for release next year. WEBSITE. INSTAGRAM. FACEBOOK.
Image Credits: Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Jimmy Ray (Glen Allen, Miss.), Jimmy Ray (Glen Allen, Miss.), William (Rodney, Miss.), Unknown Prisoner: Roadside Chain Gang (Louisiana), Sunny (Cayuga, Miss.), Swamp (Jackson, Miss.), James Hannah: Picking Poke #3 (Greenwood, Miss.), Lincoln Palmer aka Joe (Lambert, Miss.), Selso (Greenville, Miss.), Lincoln Palmer aka Joe (Lambert, Miss), Toxie Bennett (Vidalia, Louisiana), James and AB (Greenwood, Miss.), All images, 2000, reproduced by kind permission of the artist.