Andrea Morales: Roll Down Like Water

Memphis-based Peruvian-American photographer Andrea Morales’s portrayal of the Delta South is deeply rooted in the communities she engages with, and, because of this, a truer account of this region that is often portrayed through stereotypes, misperceptions, nostalgia, and storytelling.

Her approach is informed by “movement journalism,” which recognizes that journalism, like the camera, is not objective or “fair and balanced.” Journalists, both writers and photographers, are not passive spectators removed from the communities they represent; behind laptops and lenses there are people, institutions, and systems that hold and wield power, for good and for ill. By acknowledging the myth of objectivity, movement journalism strives to meet the needs of communities directly impacted by injustice through centering ethics, rigor, and depth of authentic relationships. Morales’s images range from intimate portraits and records of daily life to the documentation of social and environmental movements with local and national resonance.

Through her captivating images of the American South in moments of turbulence, stillness, darkness, and beauty, Morales charts new paths in sustainable journalism, while reflecting upon identity, community, and the power of storytelling. Andrea Morales: Roll Down Like Water features over sixty works by Andrea Morales and marks the artist’s first major touring exhibition and scholarly catalogue.

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