Kathleen Robbins Bücher

Capturing the contrasts of the Mississippi Delta, this series of photographs by Kathleen Robbins documents her ancestral land, people, and culture. Returning to her family's farm, Belle Chase, in 2001 after graduate studies, Robbins and her brother revitalized properties that had long been dormant. Winning the Photo-NOLA prize in 2011, her work showcases the Delta's diverse landscape, from dusty cotton fields to lush swamps. The photographs feature both the people and architecture that evoke a bygone era, before mechanized farming and the migration of her community. The inclusion of family members in her images adds intimacy, highlighting the tension between past and present. Accompanied by a short story from National Endowment for the Arts recipient Cynthia Shearer, the collection immerses readers in Mississippi's rich history. The images are both vibrant and stark, portraying the rugged beauty of the land and its inhabitants, deeply rooted in their environment. As birds soar in the expansive sky, Robbins focuses on the ground, capturing the essence of her past. The foreword is penned by Tom Rankin, a noted photographer and director of the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.