American Geography

American Geography is the visual record of Magnum photographer Matt BlackÆs five-year, 100,000-mile road trip across 46 states of the United States, plus Puerto Rico. It examines the conditions of powerlessness, prejudice and pragmatism among AmericaÆs poor.

The project originated in Matt BlackÆs exploration of his own home town in CaliforniaÆs rural Central Valley û a place that has been called æthe other CaliforniaÆ û where one third of the population lives in poverty. Travelling out from that location in 2015, he went on to visit designated æpoverty areasÆ û places with poverty rates of above 20% as defined by the US census. He found that, rather than being anomalies, æpoverty areasÆ are never more than two-hourÆs drive apart. They are woven throughout the fabric of the country, yet are cut off from the æland of opportunityÆ.

Matt BlackÆs compelling black and white photographs, from which one can trace a line back to the FSA Photographers of the 1930s and 1940s such as Walker