I first saw ‘Patrick’ at an exhibition in London at Beetles & Huxley, he stood out to me , larger than life, amongst the other 31 images .Well not quite larger than life at 40 x 32 inches but large enough. All of the images were taken by Photographer Alec Soth , the exhibition focused on Soth’s photographic series ‘Sleeping by the Mississippi’ which had been taken over a number of years between 1999 and 2002. It also coincided with a new version of the book released by Mack with the addition of two new previously unseen photographs. Sleeping by the Mississippi is a collection of large format images in varying styles that document the travels of Soth along what has been described as ‘Americas third coast’ the Mississippi River. It is very much in the style of Robert Frank ‘The Americans’ and Walker Evans although I feel that the images are more considered and weave a stronger narrative that combines landscape, portraiture, still life and documentary.
Interestingly the Mississippi river starts in Minnesota which is where Alec Soth was born and still resides , this may explain the desire to travel along and photograph the Mississippi. The Mississippi travels through or along Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana finally ending at the Gulf of Mexico. Perhaps a yearning for boyhood memories may have inspired the photographer as he attempts to capture the hopes and dreams of those he meets whilst realising his own dreams of wander-lust.
I wonder, when asked by Soth, what Patrick declared his hopes or dreams to be? The book only states: Patrick, Palm Sunday, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In a collection of 48 images only a few have selected notes to the images and sadly Patrick is not one of those chosen few.
In the image we see Patrick in the centre looking out at us, he seems to be squinting against the sun, or is he just wary? Is he looking with curiosity at Alec Soth, the man behind the camera, who would have been hunched under a cloth taking the image with an 8 x 10 camera on a tripod for what would seem to be ages?
In Patrick’s hand he carries a palm frond, as the image was taken on Palm Sunday I imagine he would have been either going to or coming from church. He is dressed in what I consider to be his ‘Sunday Best’ yet the suit seems ill fitted. In Patrick’s other hand he holds a book with additional pieces of paper fitted into its pages, it looks to be leather-bound and I presume it is a bible or a church missal given that Patrick has been attending church, perhaps he had been reading at mass or preaching to the congregation.
Behind and to the left of Patrick we see a trailer home alongside which there appears to be debris and strewn building materials and wood. A generator appears to be abandoned behind Patrick to the right as he stands proudly under a swath of wisteria blossoms.
Interestingly when I first saw this image it made me think of the storms in Louisiana and in particular Storm Katrina, this was the punctum for me, the sympathy that I felt for Patrick. However, this image of Patrick was taken in 2002, three years before Storm Katrina. The image appears like an aftermath, the strewn building materials and Patrick’s ill-fitting clothes , maybe they are not his own, perhaps they are from goodwill, all led me to this conclusion but I soon realised that the storm in the image is one of hope and faith as well as the unrealised American Dream. Palm Sunday in 2002 fell on the 24th of March, Four days earlier a tornado had struck but I do not believe it caused the damage that we see in this image, there were no other storms that this damage could be attributed to. Perhaps the area was simply being torn down to make way for new development and new beginnings.
The wisteria that Patrick stands beneath makes me think of the ‘picture perfect’ American dream of the beautiful house, wisteria climbing over the porch and the white picket fence complete with the paper boy on a bike tossing the newspapers onto the lawn. In this image we have no white picket fence, just a roadside barrier and we have no beautiful house. Instead we have a mobile home, yet Patrick still seems happy standing beneath the wisteria half smiling towards us. Wisteria ,if it grows out of control, can in fact pull down houses which offers an alternative storyline to the ‘storm’ ravaged scene and an alternative view of this ‘picture perfect’ flower, not everything is always as it seems.
Alec Soth has admitted to moving things around in a scene to tell a story so could Patrick’s image have been meticulously considered? Perhaps the story of hope and faith was in relation to what was happening in the ‘Aftermath’ of a different storm?
Six months earlier the world had witnessed the terror attack on the World Trade Centre, Americans from all classes were united in their patriotism against terrorism. The world wanted peace in the aftermath.
Palms have long been considered a symbol of Peace, but they are also a symbol of victory and triumph and in Islam they are associated with Paradise. Could Soth have been trying to show us the need for peace in the aftermath of terror, not a storm as we suppose. Is the symbolism of ‘paradise’ trying to show us that peace will lead us to paradise.
Interestingly wisteria symbolised new life, it celebrates new beginnings in life instead of focusing on the endings. The colour of the wisteria flowers being purple symbolises mourning. Again yet another sign that the people of America are moving on and are focusing on new beginnings whist mourning their losses, they will not dwell on the terror but instead find new hope.
Patrick stands proud, holding his palm leaf as if it is a rifle in a war to bring peace to the world. His tie is in the colours of the American flag, a sign of his patriotism, the book in his hand holding the answers to peace and Patrick’s American Dream , yet to be realised.
(1041 WORDS)
Reflection
I knew when I saw this photograph that this would be the image I would choose for assignment 4. I knew that I had plenty of signs to explore in the photograph but I didn’t quite realise just how enjoyable I would find the research.
My search for ‘Patrick’ became slightly obsessive but it has led me to realise two main things:
- Research is key
- Consider every element of the frame and the hidden signs that could be included or interpreted.
The second one is not so easy in all exercises as it would depend if your images were ‘off the cuff’ or planned and considered.
Alas my actual search to actually find Patrick or the spot where he stood was fruitless but the term needle in a haystack springs to mind. Patrick is too common a name when Patrick, Baton Rouge is all I have to go on but random stalking on Facebook of Baton Rouge groups and online obituaries provided some entertainment to my family as they watched on!
Research:
Reading Pictures – Research – Singular Images: Essays on Remarkable Photographs by Sophie Howarth
Wendy Rose Context & Narrative 