E. Lit - Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

-       Ralph Eugene Meatyard was what he would call himself, a "dedicated armature" photographer that lived in Lexington, Kentucky. He moved there from Normal, Illinois once he married his wife Madelyn and pursued a career as an optician for Tinder-Krausse-Tinder. It was during the beginning of his time working for this company where he purchased his first camera from which was a rolleiflex and used it to photograph his family and friends. Meatyard's work consisted of family portraits using props, and masks that he would fine at antique stores and hobby shops, which added an eerie quality to his photographs. I garnered an interest in Meatyard's work when I saw his exhibit at the Blanton Museum in Austin. He was one of the first photographers I took a liking to when I decided to take up photography artistically and has since been an influence on my work as an artist. Having kids running around abandon farmhouses with creepy mask on and doll props lying around is an unconventional aesthetic I will continue to appreciate.