18 December 2014 // Sanne Schrijver //Amersfoort

//WEEKLY SANNE

Alec Soth is a great documentary photographer. “Sleeping by the Mississippi” is a succeeded series.

In this range of images Soth captures America’s iconic yet neglected “third coast”. His richly detailed color photographs present an eclectic mix of human beings, landscapes and interiors. With a consistent mood of loneliness and longing.

The obvious reason that Soth photographed the Midwest is that he lives there; in Minnesota. 

He has a feeling for the surrounding. The Midwest isn’t exotic. Middle means common. But when you get involved in the Midwest, there are a lot of interesting nuances which isn’t obvious. The Midwest doesn’t have the parade of the West or the exoticism of the South. This was one of his favourite things about working along the Mississippi. Sometimes we forget that there are whole other lives being lived in the middle of America. And some of these lives are really inspiring.