Synopses & Reviews
"This book's title, Rough Beauty, conveys Anderson's conviction that the hard scrabble lives of most of the residents of Vidor, Texas, are worthy of our attention, but it also conveys that he does not seek to beautify their lives by removing the crude edges." -- Anne Wilkes Tucker
A powerful photographic documentation of the people and places a poor and isolated town in rural southeast Texas, most known for its long history as a KKK town.
Begun in fall 2003 and completed in early 2006 (after fifty trips), Rough Beauty explores the character and burden -- and the resilience and off-kilter beauty -- of a community branded by its history. Vidor is reviled for its history of Klan activities, but behind this stereotype lingers a town filled with people who have not been able to lift themselves up and a crushing poverty sometimes reminiscent of the Great Depression. Anderson's images show a hidden beauty that lies dormant even in the roughest places.
Winner of the Santa Fe Center for Photography 2005 Project Competition.
Exhibition tour begins fall 2006 and continues throughout 2007.
Synopsis
Branded by its history of Klan activities, Vidor, Texas is a poor, rural town.
About the Author
Prior to becoming a full-time professional photographer, Anderson worked for Bill Clinton at the White House and then as a full-time producer at MTV. Dave's project "Rough Beauty" was the winner of the Santa Fe Center for Photography's 2005 Project Competition. He was also named a rising star by Photo District News. Founder and curator of photography at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Curated over two-dozen exhibitions, including retrospectives for Robert Frank, Richard Misrach and Brassaï, and published many articles and lectures around the world. Awarded fellowships by the National Endowment for the Arts, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, and the Getty Research Institute.