To East and West, to North and South: Regionalism and Mythology in Contemporary American Photography

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Histories of American art and photography have for most part focused on the country's peripheral metropolises, including New York and Los Angeles, ignoring the influence of other historically defined regions in the formation of American cultural imaginary. The proposed thesis investigates the cultural and mythological roles of such regions, including the Midwest, the Pacific Northwest, the Appalachia, and the Southwest, identifying each as a significant cultural signifier in the realm of photography. The political divide in contemporary United States has led to a resurgence of photographic projects that interrogate the social and cultural notions of Americanness by documenting marginalized regions and communities. Whilst historically Regionalism has been considered as a politically right-leaning movement enforcing conservative American values (Nygard, 2020), Regionalist photography in the 21st century critiques the formation of national and regional identities, the construction of narratives, and themes of community and belonging. Thus, this research addresses the following question: how do contemporary photographers deploy, appropriate, critique, or otherwise engage with Regionalism as a cultural, critical,and/or political tool?The research is informed by David Campany's notion that "the act of picturing [America] is a primary act of diagnosis, definition and self-assertion" (Campany, 2014). Much of the scholarship on American photography ignores regional peculiarities in favour of framing photography reductively as a homogenous and nationwide category (Sontag, 1982; Green, 1984; Guimond, 1991; Gidley, 2011). Seeking to counter these regional, cultural, and historical biases, the project employs a comparative analysis to determine how the meanings and representations of place and regional identity fluctuate from one region and community to another. Case studies include, but are not limited to, Carl Bigmore's"Between Two Mysteries" (2015), a series that dissects the cinematic layers of the Pacific Northwest derived from popular culture; Nathaniel Grann's investigation of the "empty normalcy" of the Midwestern region in "Midwest Sentimental" (2018); and Bryan Schutmaat's psychological portraiture of mining communities in the American West, as seen in his project "Grays the Mountain Sends" (2013).This research disrupts the traditional canon of American photographic history in two ways: first, it traces and analyses persistent ideologies and iconographies attached to overlooked regions and communities. Second, it expands the canon to consider how such notions have been communicated and challenged by indigenous and women photographers, including for example Megan G. King and Stacy Kranitz, who havecharted the visual legacies of poverty and conservatism in Appalachia. My approach is intersectional,revealing how photographers are contributing to contemporary questions of decolonisation and the politics of representation.Autumn - Spring 2022-23 - Analysis of secondary sources available in the United Kingdom; Extensive research training and academic networking (Midlands Arts Program).Autumn - Spring 2023-24 - Gathering primary material from US archives and interviews with photographers and curators (Research Development Fund); First draft of the thesis completed.Autumn - Spring 2024-25 - Placement at a contemporary art institution; Symposium in collaboration with other M4C candidates (Cohort Development Fund); Second draft of the thesis completed.Autumn 2025 - Final draft of the thesis completed; Examination.