I got the itch today to see if I couldn’t try something I call Cambridge Pantry Art, a regular series of pictures that try to capture the feel and drama of the grueling and relentless effort to feed people who find that they cannot feed themselves and their families.
It’s a dramatic and emotional issue that’s not easily captured in pictures and rarely in the news, except in the case of open traumas like the Great Depression. It’s a stark contrast in the wealthiest country, where such a need should not exist. The media loves to talk about the rich, not the poor.
My vision is to focus on food symbols and encapsulate the emotional intensity of these crucial elements in a food pantry. It’s a primal and intense place, a refuge for those who, out of sight of the rest of us, are at the end of their wits and have nowhere else to turn.
This project’s heart is not just food but the people who care enough about their neighbors to reach out and help. The pantry is a place where the community comes together to keep families intact, a powerful symbol of unity in the wealthiest country in the world. And while I will continue to photograph flowers, this project is a testament to our nation’s capacity for care and love.
These people have gone as far as possible in the Corporate Nation, which is all about money. It’s the people who care about more than money who reach out to them and give them hope. They work very hard and are not paid.
Food is at the center of everything, and these are rarely people we see or hear from. Much of our culture wants little to do with them. They are up against a formidable wall in a sometimes unforgiving place.
The volunteers are the heroes here. The people seem sometimes forgotten, out of sight, afraid, and sometimes desperate. Children are in the middle. The Army of Good is crammed with heroes.
I could capture some of the things I feel. Food, like flowers, needs a closer look; I need to feel it.
I wouldn’t ask the people who come for food to pose for pictures; it’s private and, for them, often shameful, a defeat amidst billionaires and great wealth. The camera could capture some of the emotion and importance of food. It seems very emotional and powerful; it is worth a try.
I’m still determining how this will turn out, but I want to try. The calling to do this is strong; perhaps something can come of it. Pictures can say a lot.
Thanks to those who wish to come along.
Volunteer, Cambridge Food Pantry. She is a fantastic woman. She works long and hard.
The power of toilet paper and towel paper, the strings of life.
Vegetables.
This wall is reserved for Thanksgiving. It is not to be touched. It is the stuff of holidays and life. On that shelf, there’s a whole Thanksgiving for many people. Please don’t touch it.
It is one of the most popular and sought-after side dishes. For lots of people, it’s the main course.
Muffins, muffins, muffins.
A volunteer, working day and night. Terry works all day to get the food you send on the shelves.
