Kurt Jordan: Where Cultures Touch


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"Interstate 40 divides the state of Arizona from north and south where two cultures touch. AAA maps call it Indian Country to the north and state land to the south. I went to photograph the Four Corners, inspired by an image Robert Frank took in the Americans, Number 35­ US 66, between Winslow and Flagstaff, 1955. Four adults stand over a blanket covering the bodies of a fatal car accident during a snowstorm outside Winslow Arizona. As they gaze on the victims under the blanket multiple stories unfold about the place and the incident. I wanted to look under that blanket and get the story to understand what had happened, somehow put the incident to rest."

"With camera in hand I looked under the blanket to find the borderlands of two cultures unresolved migrating along the crossroads of the past and the future. A border that tries to preserve an old culture with respect for the land and one that has tried persistently to take advantage and change that land into the next American theme park. But with each attempt the land takes back in an attempt to cultivate the truth leaving hints of the last attempted theme park. This is an ongoing dialogue that will move forward with additional trips and one that will not answer the query, as the blanket may never be lifted from this accident." - Kurt Jordan, April 2011

View the full screen magazine photo feature.

The first photo book I ever bought myself had a Robert Frank photograph on the cover. At the time, 16 years old and living in the suburbs of London, I had no idea of the weight and influence of his work. It's fulfilling to be publishing this work of Kurt's as I continue to learn about photography and its important place in history. - aCurator, April 2011

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