Paul Grahams' American Night series was taken over a course of five years. Through his series, Paul Graham highlights poverty and racism that is overlooked in society. This series is highly recognized for representing the racial divide. In Man Walking in White Shirt, the photograph is washed out, the subject within the photograph is unclear. He captures a, "barley visible Afro-American figure" walking down the roadside. By using this technique Paul Graham puts emphasis on the racism that's occurring during this time. In Untitled 2002 (California); a clear image, captures a wealthy suburban neighborhood which Paul Graham refers to as a contemporary American society.
Man Walking in White Shirt, Atlanta
Untitled, California, 2002
What I found interesting about Paul Grahams' American Night series is that he relies on documentation and technical skills in order to bring light on the divide within American society. What American tends to overlook this divide and although Paul Graham documents it through a photograph, by washing the image out it allows for the viewer to search the image and find what society chooses not to see.
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