William Christenberry & RaMell Ross | Desire Paths

Organized by Ross in collaboration with the Christenberry family and on view from January 13 to February 25 at the gallery’s 510 West 25th Street space in New York, the show will shed light on the two artists’ distinct approaches to creating a portrait of a place: Hale County, Alabama.

Reflecting distinct artistic visions and historical contexts, works by Christenberry and Ross employ radically different modes of engagement with the spirit of Hale County, yet both artists deal directly with the racial violence embedded in its history. Ross’s photographs serve as lush, tender portraits of Black life in the American South, while Christenberry’s beautifully composed yet largely unpeopled images focus on the region’s changing landscape over time. Ross began his photography practice while employed as a social worker in Hale County. His work has been deeply influenced by that of Christenberry, whose childhood in Hale County and encounters with the Ku Klux Klan had a profound impact on his practice. Exhibited in dialogue with one another, the artists’ works grapple with the beauty of everyday life over and against the legacy of white supremacist terrorism that has shaped the history of both Hale County and the United States itself.