Dave Anderson East Lansing, Michigan, b. 1970

Dave Anderson’s photographs from his Rough Beauty series were taken in Vidor, Texas, a town known for extreme poverty and racism as it was formerly the site of Ku Klux Klan activities. The reputation of the town and its isolation is in part what brought Anderson to Vidor, along with his insatiable desire to travel across the country on the road. While these photographs were taken almost 20 years ago, they resonate with contemporary issues of race, isolation, and poverty. The people of Vidor are adamant that the labels placed on them are not true to their actual character and that they are a kind, close-knit community. In June 2020, a Black Lives Matter group successfully staged a peaceful protest in the town. The feeling of isolation is felt the most in Dave Anderson’s photographs of dogs. Here, the title of the photograph, Padlocked, draws immediate attention to the large padlock connecting the chain around the dog’s neck in the place where one might expect to see a collar and dog tag. The animal looks content, not bothered by being tethered to a source that is out of view in the frame. The chain connected to a place out of view makes the image of the animal feel especially alone, despite the views of a home in the background.