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By Richard Sharum
Publisher: GOST Books
Publication date: 2024
Print length: 208 pages
Language: English
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In Spina America, photographer Richard Sharum embarks on a deeply introspective journey through the central "spine" of the United States, seeking to explore the elements that unify the nation’s identity amidst its current divisions. Motivated by personal and national anxiety over America’s fractured state, Sharum set out to discover what remains of the collective hope for unity. His journey takes him through a 100-mile-wide corridor along the geographic center of the U.S., covering parts of the Dakotas, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas—areas often dismissed as "flyover" country.

Over the course of his project, Sharum spoke to more than 4,000 individuals and captured over 14,000 photographs, documenting the lives of a diverse array of people who call this region home. His subjects range from Mennonites, Lutherans, and Indigenous Americans to Mexican-Americans and farmers of German, Scandinavian, and Ukrainian descent. Sharum's lens also focuses on the daily lives of mechanics, surgeons, police officers, prisoners, exotic dancers, politicians, and migrant laborers, all set against the vast and varied backdrop of America's heartland.

Spina America is divided into chapters that highlight different aspects of life in the central U.S., giving each individual featured equal status and space within the narrative. Sharum’s portraits are a tribute to the diversity and resilience of the people living in this often-overlooked region. Through chance encounters and intimate moments, Sharum paints a vivid picture of contemporary American life, challenging preconceived notions of what constitutes the country’s "national character."

The final chapter, Peril and Promise, powerfully contrasts images of decay, hate, and danger with those of duty, community, and hope. This juxtaposition serves as both a stark warning and a heartfelt plea for unity, emphasizing the precarious state of America’s future while also holding onto the belief in the power of togetherness. Sharum’s work in *Spina America* is a poignant reflection on the state of the nation, offering both a critique and a reminder of what still holds America together.

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