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***Glimpses of the Plain Life***I began looking at Mennonite life and beliefs through the doorway of their horses, because I took my tack to be repaired at an Old Order harness shop. I have degrees in Religious Studies/Social Ethics and I love horses, so conversation with the artisans and others came naturally.
The proprietor of Martin Harness Shop, David Rhodes, asked me to take photos of his work so he could create an album to show customers. His improvisational approach to pictures and Mennonite life in Dayton taught me far more than I could have grasped on my own.
Mennonites don’t want their portraits made, by which they mean no formal, posed photos. Such products would encourage vanity. If you see a person’s face in a photo, it was taken with permission. In public I couldn’t always secure permissions, but you will see images where the back view must be the sum of eloquence in the photo.
I am documenting Mennonite life that articulates their “Defy the Machine” community. It is a community whose ethos is patriarchally guarded and also governed by lofty spiritual guideposts. These closed communities are easy to romanticize, and they are filled with beauty. Many conversations led me to understand other aspects of the plain life, but I wasn’t pushy enough to document the loss that inevitably is part of purity. Mostly, I was grateful for conversational openness. My goal in this show is to share pictures that respect the trust that has been offered to me.
***All sales proceeds from this show will be donated to Open Doors (The Navigation Center) of Harrisonburg, 1111 N. Main Street, Harrisonburg, a low barrier, year-round emergency shelter and daytime support facility. ******
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306 E Market St, Harrisonburg, VA 22801-4133, United States
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Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.