WHY JELLICO?

I've mentioned Jellico a few times in the past year or so. Why, you ask? Well, my wife is from there, so when we visit family I occupy some of my time walking around taking pictures. I tend to gravitate towards backroads and people-less places. While Jellico is by no means people-less, parts of it can seem pretty lonely at times and I think this says alot about the town and others like it...all uniquely out of the way and endearing. All in transition.

The postcard I posted a few items below was made during a more prosperous time in some of the small towns that are now quite depressed in the Appalachian region. Coal mines have shut down, companies have moved out, and they haven't been replaced by a solid source of employment...at least not in the same abundance. It is interesting to me to walk around in these areas and find what holds my attention. Some may find these pictures mundane and perhaps even boring, and wonder why I'm taking pictures of a lone cedar tree (for example), but I find them exciting in many ways. Behind that cedar tree is an abandoned restaurant (KFC) and plenty of "Keep Out" signs...a story about what was, and what might have happened. The shots say something about the history of the place (to me anyway), and definitely something about the present...perhaps even a glimpse of what could be in the future...

If you like the idea of roadsides and the charms they hold, feel free to come out to the Disc Exchange in South Knoxville on April 4th. I'll be showing a few of the shots on the walls, and a band will play (THE ELEMENTS). Food will be served in some form...and brown-bagging is the way to go.