Portraits Artist Chris Walker | Bob Cutler; Croswell, Michigan

Portraits
Call for Entries Accepted Artists

Artist Statement
Bob Cutler was one of two barbers in my hometown. He and his competitor, Tommy Kettlewell, kept the men of Croswell clean-shaven – at least those who preferred to be that way! I recall when my father passed away nearly ten years ago, that he was too ill to go into town but wanted a haircut. Tommy came to the house, gave Dad his final clip, and wouldn’t accept a penny for it. He said he was just visiting a friend…

People like these fill our countryside. Being among them, being one of them, has provided a foundation for my life. I find photography to be an experiential endeavor, so going into the field to engage these people, to collect images, is no less vital for me than going into the field to collect samples is for a biologist – each serves a purpose for the collector, and ultimately becomes a means of examining not only what exists but also what may, someday, be lost.

The entrepreneurs in my photos represent a bit of rural America tradition – none of them are dot-comers, they’re just local folks providing fresh food and services for their neighbors.

While I no longer function purely as a journalist, I’m forever mindful of what Arnold Newman once told an audience: “Today, I do it as journalism. Tomorrow? It’s history.”