Appalachia’s poverty portrayed

“Making Ends Meet: West Virginia Community Voices”

Neil Newfield

Through Dec. 4

Filmmakers… “Making Ends Meet: West Virginia Community Voices”

Neil Newfield

Through Dec. 4

Filmmakers Galleries

477 Melwood Ave.

(412) 682-4111

A homeless man lies in an alleyway, slowly dying of alcohol poisoning. His picture is taken.

A young girl peers cautiously from behind a staircase. Her frightened pose is captured by the lens of a camera. Hanging in Filmmakers Galleries, her black-and-white image accompanies written thoughts on the bordering mat describing how she felt when the picture was taken: “I am sad because he hurt my mom. I don’t like him any more. I do not want him to be my dad.”

These haunting images have been taken by Neil Newfield, an associate professor of social work at West Virginia University, and will be featured at Filmmakers Galleries through Dec. 4. The exhibition, entitled “Making Ends Meet: West Virginia Community Voices” is a series of black-and-white documentary images of poverty-stricken West Virginians and is free and open to the public.

The expressions worn on the faces of destitute individuals and families that Newfield has captured are powerful in themselves. However, he has taken an extra step in personalizing his poignant photographs of poverty through his inclusion of personal, written words.

Newfield’s photographs feature parallel statements from his subjects. This unique feature gives a voice to the individuals captured in the photographs. Many of the statements are moving, revealing hard truths about the dire conditions that poverty presents. Others are optimistic outlooks on life.

From these statements, each photograph truly becomes individual and unique from the others. Viewing the photographs and reading the written statements allow for a dialogue to develop with the still subjects.

His subjects have dissimilar outlooks on their poverty. Some of them embrace their poverty, while others long for a better life. The images are striking, but in many cases, the writing creates a more powerful presentation.

For instance, one picture portrays children standing near a malnourished cow. However, from the writing, we learn that they bought the half-starved cow, put it in a burlap sack and plan to eat it throughout the winter.

Another photograph depicts a woman with her children. In her writing, she reveals that she is a single parent trying her hardest to support her family on an income of $2,000-$3,000 dollars per year.

Many of Newfield’s subjects have been found through colleagues. Individuals are referred to Newfield, who then ventures into the Appalachian region to find his subjects. Many welcome Newfield and are happy to have their pictures taken. Others are less accepting of the idea.

Newfield has been in constant contact with some of his subjects: He has been in touch with one family for six years, witnessing its difficulties and achievements. Oftentimes, it is hard to stay in contact with his subjects because many do not have a permanent address and drift throughout the country.

“Making Ends Meet” gives both a face and voice to poverty in the Appalachian region. Like Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans, Depression-era photographers, Newfield has given a voice to the poor. He hopes that exhibition goers will gain a new understanding of poverty and life in West Virginia.