[Virginia] Wytheville woman takes look at poverty

From the Wytheville Enterprise
By JUSTIN HARMON

When Wytheville photographer Susi Lawson set out to capture on film the face of poverty in Virginia, she wanted to avoid the usual depressing photos of the poor. She wanted to focus on people.

Lawson, a single mother living on a low income, took second place in the Virginia Poverty Law Center’s photo contest, "Through Different Eyes: Faces of Poverty in Virginia." Winning entries in the contest will be exhibited this week in Richmond.

Though Lawson’s entry didn’t capture first, it has become something of a poster child for the project. Lawson’s entry, "Sunday Best," shows a smiling Daisy Dunford in a Sunday dress, barefoot and leaning against a wall with paint chipping away. The image of Daisy, who is the daughter of Dee-Dee Thigpen of Wytheville, can be seen on everything from invitations to the Richmond exhibit to the cover of a book planned for release later in the year.

Lawson said there is a stigma attached to words such as "poor" and "poverty." Many people, she said, buy into the assumption that a "poor" person is not only financially lacking, but is also lacking in other aspects of life.

Her photo disputes that assumption, she said, and illustrates that those with meager means aren’t necessarily angry or depressed. They are just people.

Lawson said she is honored to be a part of the project and thankful to the families who let her into their lives.

"It’s about taking pictures, but it’s also about giving pictures," she said.
The exhibit was scheduled to be unveiled today, and after an initial run for about a year, it will go on the road, taking its view of poverty to places all over the state.

View Lawson's photo here