Influx

A couple of weeks back, Influx wrote about the 1970s suburban photography of Bill Owens. We went searching for photographers who had a more contemporary view of suburbia and found Beth Yarnelle Edwards. Yarnelle Edwards is almost a protege of Owen’s, her photographs are of the Bay Area’s middle class suburbia in the late 20th century.

Her process has a planning/anthropological feel to it, as she describes.

“The color portraits are made in collaboration with girls and boys, men and women of all ages. I ask adults to choose a space within their home or its surroundings, which reflects their personal identity or sense of self. Unless they have another preference, I photograph children in their bedrooms because I believe that is the place where they have the most autonomy and the opportunity for self-expression. Before bringing out the camera, I make a preview visit and talk to my subjects about their lives, their personal space and their possessions. I ask about their preferences, what they would like the viewer to see, and we talk about what they will wear and do. On the day of the shoot, I record a short interview, which may later be used in conjunction with a book of these photographs.”