Tammy at Culvert, '08

Children with Blind Horse,'08
Published : "Kid's Wear," Summer '09

Dillon, Oct. '07
Standing in front of Great Grandfathers Civil War saddle.
Mallie, Ky.


Belinda and Martha, Oct. '07
[Mother & Daughter]


Girl's in Onion Patch


Lloyd Dean's Porch, '07



Jane, Oct.'07


Vanessa, Oct.'07
[Standing in front of Great Grandmother's Photo]



Lloyd Deane & Lewis,'08
[Brothers]

Response of a Viewer in West Palm Beach

I can look at the photograph of the two men standing in front of the pickup truck, the mountains and trees stretched out behind them and I wonder why I am here, l in this city of affluence and beauty. And suddenly I can feel it, my sense of loss is a physical thing and my sadness of place is overwhelming. I want to let go, to step into these pictures because I have become freshly and resolutely aware that I do not belong here. I ache for something I cannot yet totally grasp, but it is there. In these photos my loss is evident and complete.

Nandi Boliek


Darrel & Arch Napier, Oct.'07
[Brothers]


Leslie, Oct.'07



Frankie on Porch, Oct.' 07
[age 91]


When you come from the head of the hollers you eventually gravitate to your starting place, to observe the world, find your wholeness, move forward. That world may be inhabited by the shunned and neglected that rumble with contradictions and misunderstandings, but that is your home, the beginnings of your true voice, your vision. The strength lies within your recognition of the unseen people, the ignored who speak, cry, lament, love and beg you to say - I exist.

Shelby Lee Adams
August 2007


Attention

We need an unprejudiced mind to see what-is; we cannot see what-is and respond to it if the mind is trying to change or suppress it. We resist what-is because we are afraid of the unknown, or because what-is contradicts what we have been conditioned to believe, or because it threatens us. The resulting fear prevents from us accepting what-is. Resistance to what-is may look like strength, but actually arises from fear, whereas it is powerful and freeing to accept what-is.

Surrender means allowing life to happen rather than opposing the flow of life, accepting the present moment without resistance. The necessary action will then arise, but when we act out of acceptance rather than resistance, we act without negativity or judgment. Action that arises out of acceptance is different from action that arises out of rage and hatred. Action that arises from a state of surrender is less contaminated with judgment and the need to hurt others. We simply do what needs to be done without labeling the situation as good or bad according to the ego’s criteria.

Lionel Corbett
Psyche and Sacred


Adam Dean with Horse and Bike, '07


Dilbert, '07


Natasha, '03


Jeffrey and Adam,'04


William Petrey, tobacco farmer, '07


Sheba Asleep, '07

Cody and swimming pool, '07

Wasp, 05

Willie Sr. & Wille Jr. '03

Violet, '05

Teresa & Family, '03

Rosa Lee with Family & TV, '06

Ester, Oma Jean & Baby, '06


Reba, Mother and Family,'08

Coon Creek, '03

Johnny B., '06

Larry in Garage, '05


Topmost Halloween, '08

Baby with No Name, '03

Beehive Racks, '04


Bert and Lonnie,'90

Bethany & Billy with Coon Skins


John Michael,'08

Billy Ray, '03

Brenda, '04

James & Clapper, '06

Sancie, Daughter & Baby, '06

Halloween Twins, '06


Amanda with Dolls,'02

Frankie with Shucky Beans

Charity Baby, '06

The Purse, '05

Lawrence's Porch, '06

Lloyd Dean with Family & Coal Truck, '02


Lloyd Dean with Grandson's and pool table, '06


Robbie & Tyler on Wrecker, '03

Stephanie & Brittany, '06


Brent and Kenith,'08


Jimmy's Mantel, '08

Barwick, '03

Dan, Krissy & Leddie, '93

Eagle's Nest, '04


Eagle's Nest, '08

Hardburly Porch

John

Alma Gail & Children, '03

Cindy Rena, '04


Mitchel and Dallas,'08

Donnie & Aunt Sally


Hazel & Mimie [twins], '05

Leairon, '05

The Jacobs & Collins Boys, '03


Benny and Arch,'06


The Halcomb's, Three Generations,'08


Big Hort

Troy, '03, [96 years old]


Truth

“The Stories get past on and the truth gets passed over. As the sayin goes. Which I reckon some would take as meanin that the truth cant compete. But I don’t believe that. I think that when the lies are told and forgotten the truth will be there yet. It don’t move about from place to place and it dont change from time to time. You cant corrupt it any more than you can salt salt. You cant corrupt it because that’s what it is. It’s the thing you’re talking about. I’ve heard it compared to the rock-maybe in the bible-and I wouldn’t disagree with that. But it’ll be here even when the rock is gone.”

“You were doin something for folks that couldnt do it for theirselves.”

“I think the truth is always simple. It has pretty much got to be. It needs to be simple enough for a child to understand. Otherwise it’d be too late. By the time you figured it out it would be too late.”

Cormac McCarthy
No Country For Old Men


Louverna,'08

[Photos made one week apart.]

Louverna's Wake with Brother's,'08

Louverna’s Funeral, ‘08

The summer of ‘08 I’d planned an exhibition of my work at the Gate Way To Heaven church, Lost Creek, Kentucky. This church has been closed for 4 years since the death and passing of pastor Bill Noble and his wife Rachel, dying only three months apart. Bill and I had been good friends; his photographs, family and church had been published in my book, “Appalachian Legacy.” Bill’s church was non-denominational, not a typical Appalachian church, Bill believed that Baptist, Methodist or Pentecostals; all should worship together. He did not believe different baptisms should keep people apart. Bill said, “If your saved in the Lord deep down, then you can worship the Lord and God Almighty with any and everyone.”

Because of his openness and sincerity, we had many good talks about mountain people, religion and our ways. I learned a lot from Bill Noble. He supported my photography whole heartily. It was our history, relationship and the fact that his church was vacant, that prompted me in asking his families permission to use the church for my first one-person photography exhibition in the mountains. His son’s all agreed, they believed their Daddy would have liked the idea.

In late May I arrived to help begin cleaning up the church and preparing for the Sunday church exhibition, cookout and get together. On a Thursday we cleaned, moved paint cans, feed bags, weed eaters and more. The church had become a storage bin for the farm. By that afternoon, several family members were cleaning and painting the interior. I took a break to visit another Noble relatives home, Lloyd Deane’s just a quarter mile up the same hollow, hopefully to photograph.

Driving back, early that evening, as I got close to the church, members of the Noble family were sitting and standing around on the church porch. Brothers, sisters and children waved me over. They wanted me to come and meet someone. Louverna Noble Fouch was sitting in a white dress. She was the oldest sister of the Noble Family, the only member I had never met. She was 55 years old and looked distressed. She told me she liked the pictures of her Daddy I’d taken, as we shook hands and she said she knew me through her family and my pictures. She talked of her illness and suffering life. She showed me scars from her recent heart surgery.

We had an intuitive, quiet conversation; understanding each other with our eye's, giving room for open acceptance. She told me smiling, she was going to try and come Sunday to our cookout. Her daddy would have liked it. She smiled again. She said, “You better go ahead and take my picture.” I knew what she wanted done. Somehow I felt that her black and white photograph made now, would make her feel closer to her father in death. I felt a catalyst for her. When I turned to get my 4x5 camera, everyone near surprisingly stepped back about 10 feet simultaneously giving room. While setting up equipment and lights we talked about her time left. She always insisted her husband or son bring her back to her parent’s home whenever she got really sick. We made several Polaroid’s. She said, “I know I look scary, but I need and want my picture made, before it’s over.” After film was exposed and I started packing, she asked her brother’s help in walkin back home across the road. We thanked each other and said goodby. The wind blew the nearby silver maple gently, leaves glistening in the dusk light.

Sunday at the exhibition and cookout, I was told she was too sick to attend. Wednesday morning, I called Lloyd Deane to hear she had passed away Tuesday night. Thursday night was scheduled to be her wake and the funeral for Friday. We decided that she would like to have photographs made. I arrived Thursday at 5:00 PM and began setting up. We quietly made approximately 12 different photo compositions with different family members from both sides, giving Polaroids to participants. Traditionally, Appalachian wakes are always held in the evenings, often in the family’s home and then the coffin is taken to the funeral home for the formal public funeral. Louverna had hand written her funeral request the night she died. She was to have an informal country wake and the funeral was to be held in the same family church. Further, she requested being buried in a simple pine wooden box. Her brothers made a wood coffin. Her family decided to place the traditional coffin supplied by the funeral home within the pine wood box, respecting her request. Her brothers dug her grave beside her daddy's in the family cemetery.

Before I left in early July from this summer’s trip, I needed to visit the Nobles again. Junior, the quietest and shyest brother, felt a need to unburden himself; he told his part in Louverna’s passing. She had been brought to their home that Tuesday morning. Junior said she was sick all that day and night and he held her while she smoked her last half of a cigarette. She died at 1:00 AM, her heart just stopped. Junior said, "She died on the same couch Mommy died on, 4 years before. I held her in my arms when she died, I called to my brothers to come but they couldn't. Such a strange hard-deep helpless feelin, I ran and got the CPR woman who lives across the road, I had to do something, tears runnin down my face, but Louverna had died, it’s a terrible feeling.” Junior was the only relative present at the wake that did not want his photograph made by his sister’s coffin, now I understand.

Shelby Lee Adams

Anonymous Photograph made in 2004 at funeral in Eastern Kentucky. Note the photographs placed on the inside frame of the coffin enclosure, these photos will be buried with the deceased as personal momentos and positive memories of loved ones. Please-Respect the families wishes to not copy and use this photo.
© Shelby Lee Adams, Posted August 2009