Sam Angel Photography Sam Angel Photography

Statements

Peeler

While walking greenways and trails we often experience quiet fleeting encounters in these open spaces. During the COVID pandemic, I began to acknowledge these encounters were where most of my social interactions occurred. In November of 2020, I began to carry a 4x5 large format film camera to photograph portraits of those I encountered during my routine walks at Peeler Park in Madison, TN. This project serves as an attempt to build a sense of community through the act of engagement with this type of photography and documenting those who visit the park. The project explores vulnerability in asking a person to take time for a portrait, navigating the fears of social distancing, and honoring the spaces of subjectivity. Some encounters are with strangers, others are weekly regulars, some from the Peeler Park Airfield and when no one is encountered, the trails, greenway and wildlife become the focused subjects.


This ongoing project is a one time recipient of a Madison on My Mind project grant from Metro Arts in Nashville, supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.