Exhibition at Caracas Belgium

LaToya Ruby Frazier (b. 1982, USA) continues to show the representation of the working classes, a tradition begun in the 1930s by the likes of Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange and Gordon Parks, in her latest exhibition Et des terrils un arbre s’elevera (And a tree grew up from the coal tips). Her political commitment and her fight against social inequalities are depicted through her photographs, which are now on exhibit at Caracas Belgium until May 21, 2017.

Frazier’s images show her examination of the history of the Borinage, a region whose fate and inhabitants, like those of her own family, have been greatly impacted by the collapse of heavy industry. Through encounters with former miners and their families, Frazier bears witness to their life experiences through the photographs made jointly with them. Long interviews preceded the various encounters that brought to light a series of details and anecdotes. These then enabled the artist to structure the photographs that she subsequently took; the places, objects and directions of gazes were determined by the stories she was told.

By: Matthew Barlow. Courtesy of: GUP Magazine