Kristine Potter: Dark Waters

Dark Waters, a book by Kristine Potter, explores the Southern Gothic landscape through the lens of American murder ballads from the 19th and 20th centuries. Potter's black-and-white images capture the atmosphere and characters of these songs, creating evocative portraits of the often-unnamed women at the center of their stories. The book also reflects the casual and popular glamorization of violence against women that remains prevalent in today's cultural landscape.

Format: Hardback
Length: 140 pages
Publication date: 13 July 2023
Publisher: Aperture

Dark Waters,Kristine Potters second monograph, delves deeper into her exploration of the American landscape as a palimpsest of cultural ideologies. In this haunting and atmospheric series,Potter delves into the Southern Gothic landscape, as evoked in the popular imagination of nineteenth- and twentieth-century "murder ballads." Through her seductive and richly detailed black-and-white images,Potter channels the setting and characters of these songs, creating a series of evocative portraits that stand in for the oft-unnamed women at the center of their stories.

In the American murder ballad, which has gained cult appeal and continues to be rerecorded even today, the riverscape often serves as the backdrop for the crimes described in their lyrics. Places like Murder Creek, Bloody Fork, and Deadmans Pond are haunted by both the victims and perpetrators of violence in the world Potter conjures, reflecting the casual and popular glamorization of violence against women that remains prevalent in todays cultural landscape. Potter notes, "I see a through line of violent exhibitionism from those early murder ballads, to the Wild West shows, to the contemporary landscape of cinema and television. Culturally, we seem to require it."

Dark Waters also explores the ways in which women navigate the world, often feeling threatened and foreboding. Author Rebecca Bengal contributes an evocative short story that amplifies the sense of anxiety and foreboding that Potters images convey. This captivating and chilling combination adds another layer of depth and meaning to the monograph, emphasizing the ways in which Potters work both evokes and exorcises the fears and anxieties that women experience in their daily lives.

Copublished by Aperture with Images Vevey and The Momentary, Dark Waters is a visually stunning and thought-provoking exploration of the American landscape and the cultural ideologies that shape it. Potters images and the accompanying text offer a powerful commentary on the ongoing struggle for gender equality and the importance of challenging the narratives that perpetuate violence against women. This monograph is a must-read for anyone interested in photography, art, and the intersection of culture and society.

Weight: 1138g
Dimension: 269 x 306 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781597115568