Clayton Steward — ‘Do what you have to do’ care + commitment in rural Kansas

Review by Lee Halvorsen •

This is small book with a very large heart, capturing generations living strong, but challenged, in rural Kansas…far from the bustling crowds but also distanced from metropolitan healthcare. Steward’s Master of Arts, Journalism project found him spending a great deal of time with Larry Engstrom and his family after Larry suffered a stroke that very negatively impacted his ability to work on his farm. Steward’s images and text provide more than a documentary of Larry’s struggles, they provide a glimpse into his relationship with his wife, his family, his healthcare provider and the underlying but ever-present theme…his land.

The images are black and white, unposed, personal. The Engstrom’s have lived on this land for generations; Larry and his wife were married in the living room of the house they live in now. Their story is a tapestry woven from family, land, and the human condition…all brought to us through the style and composition of Steward’s images. There is also meaningful text detailing the Engstrom’s lives, but sometimes the text was distracting and I was taken out of the images. The images and text were well balanced, however, the images were so powerful they could stand on their own.

Larry’s wife Donna was the primary caregiver despite having severe health issues of her own. The entire Engstrom family is helping and enabling Larry and Donna to stay on the farm. Steward’s images capture the emotion of their relationships which are overlaid on the challenges of the moment, but the land is always present. The relationship of the land with the people was well seen by Steward and the pairing and sequencing of the images brought me into the scene, as if I were seated in the truck next to Larry, listening to the horses and viewing the long horizon. Larry was described as “ornery”, but Steward’s images don’t emphasize that side of him, rather his images show a man dealing with physical hardship by connecting with those around him and with the land.

Some of the harder moments in their lives are captured in low light situations. Steward’s composition combined with the low light and image “noise” bring those moments to life on the page. Conversely, sharp images of the farm’s landscape and livestock highlight Larry’s positive attitude about the farm where he lives and the importance of living in that place and on that land is a major theme of their story and the book. The network of family, land, healthcare providers, and relationships comes alive in the content and sequencing of the book.

The sequence of the images is very well done. The tones, focus, geometry of each image accentuates the “content star” of the image…pain, laughter, sweep of the land. The image before and/or after transitions naturally and smoothly.

This is a self-published book that was a pleasure to read, a brief, very immersive visit with a family who is doing what they have to do.

__________

Lee Halvorsen is assistant editor, writer and visual artist living in Virginia.

__________

‘Do what you have to do’. care + commitment in rural Kansas by Clayton Steward

Artist: Clayton Steward living in Kansas City, MO

Publisher: Bayou Books

Website for purchasing book.

Binding: Softcover, perfect binding

Language: English

Softcover, black and white images, 8 x 9.5 inches, ISBN none

__________

Articles and photographs published in the PhotoBook Journal may not be reproduced without the permission of the PhotoBook Journal staff and the photographer(s). All images, texts, and designs are under copyright by the authors and publishers.