Faculty of Arts & Science

Visual and Critical Studies

Alessio Duclaux

Seeing Appalachia: Subject agency within Appalachian photography

In Seeing Appalachia, I explore how photography is being used as a tool for restorative justice within the North American region of Appalachia. By researching photographers who prioritize the agency of the subjects they photograph, I intend to discuss how certain artists subvert the backwards stereotypes and prejudices associated with the region, allowing for the communities to convey their own stories, free from the colonial narrative often associated with the camera.

“The photos display an appreciation for the Appalachian Anthropocene, working to acknowledge the colonial past while striving to repair the subject’s relation to the camera.”