We welcome the beautiful work of local photographer, Nicole Perroni, to Small Space Fest. Her photographs document an intimate reality captured in soft light and black and whites that add mood and depth to the subject matter. We look forward to seeing more of her work installed in the Emergency Arts building.
Works selected: From The Mouth of The Holler (2002- present)
Statement from Nicole Perroni: From The Mouth of The Holler explores the tragedies and beauties of life and existence along the Appalachian Trail in Western North Carolina. Having spent the majority of my childhood in this region, I left Western North Carolina and my family around the age of 15. I first returned in 2002 at age 22, and with large and medium format analog cameras, began to document the eternal struggle between holding on to long standing traditions and charting new trajectories. This area, so steeped in generational traditions, once boasted thriving family industries such as tobacco farms, textile mills, coal mines, and horse breeding. As surrounding areas transitioned to more modern, large-scale economies, the region suffered from severe economic stagnation. It is now ravaged by the impacts of alcoholism, teen pregnancy, meth, and methadone addiction.
I photograph children, individuals, and families in their homes, often on land and in houses that have been in their family for many generations, to create a deep, sustained, human to human engagement. The result is an intimate window into the bonds of family and the perceived honor of daily living with the hardships of incarceration, suicide, drug use, unemployment, and the precarious navigation through adolescence.
To see more of her work: http://www.nicoleperroni.com/