SOCIAL JUSTICE

In Katrina's Wake: Restoring a Sense of Place

Stephen Wilkes' work attempts to reclaim and give voice to forgotten places and people. His most recent series, In Katrinaís Wake: Restoring a Sense of Place, portrays the victims of two devastated Gulf Coast communitiesóBay St. Louis, Mississippi, and the Holy Cross neighborhood of New Orleansí Ninth Wardóand their struggle to restore their lives, homes and the social fabric of their communities.

In creating a visual story that bears witness to the severity of this American tragedy, Wilkes hopes to focus attention on the ongoing issues of Katrina, and to encourage those who have left the area to consider returning to re-establish the singular cultural heritage of their native towns. The photographs offer a metaphorical framework through which to understand the present tense results of the 2005 disaster, as well as offering the possibility and hope that reclamation is still possible.

In creating a visual story that bears witness to the severity of this tragedy, Wilkes reminds us that Katrinaís issues are far from resolved. Faced with the extent of the damage chronicled by these images, we may wonder why rebuilding the Gulf Coast isnít the largest public works project in American history and why Congress hasnít yet taken more constructive action. Will redevelopment result in revived communities and historic restoration with residents reclaiming their property rights? Or will rebuilding result in commercial ventures including casino complexes?

The intimate stories that Wilkes presents corrects some of the misconceptions of the Katrina aftermath: those disenfranchised by this disaster come from all walks of lifeóhigh to low. The Ninth Ward, for example, has been inaccurately characterized as a black welfare ward, which is a distortion of the truth. The discovery and enlightening experience of looking at these photos is to realize that one of these 80-year-old women could be your own grandmother. In a world of so many choices, including multiple entertainment pleasures, it is easy to turn away from these images, to tell ourselves that we donít know these people. But in the faces that Wilkes has captured here, in the gaze they offer the camera, there may be a different responseówhich is that we do.  

Stephen Wilkes

Photography has been Stephen Wilkesí passion since age 12, when his fascination with science led him to take photographs through a microscope.

Wilkesí other work includes a 2000 commission by Epson America to create a millennial portrait of the United States that captured the variety, mood and texture of America as the new century began. His 1999 Ellis Island series documented the archival past of an island that welcomed so many to this country. Wilkesí photographs and video work helped secure $6 million in funding to restore the south side of the island.

Wilkes has been widely recognized for his fine art and commercial photography. His work has been featured in major exhibitions and on the covers of magazines such as Time, Life, Sports Illustrated, and The New York Times Magazine. He shoots advertising and fashion campaigns for many of the country's leading advertising agencies and companies. Wilkes has received numerous awards and honors, including the Alfred Eisenstaedt Award for Magazine Photography, the Epson Creativity Award, Photographer of the Year by Adweek, Fine Art Photographer of the Year from the Lucie Awards, as well as honors from Graphis and Awards of Excellence from Communication Arts and the Art Directors Club. His work belongs to the International Museum of Photography at the George Eastman Houseís permanent collection.  

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