Photographer Anthony Karen’s use of the word sir in emails might stem from his service in the Marine Corps. It could also be indicative of his humanitarian side and his affiliations with charities including Friends in Deed, Smile Train, and the Humane Society.
That simple level of politeness is also a small window into how he has been able to document as a photojournalist many of the most feared, secretive, and marginalized pockets of society around the world.
On his website, Karen writes that his passion for photography began during a trip to Haiti, where he documented Vodou rituals around the country. From there he has created series about Skinheads, the Westboro Baptist Church, and the Ku Klux Klan.
Gaining access to secretive pockets of society is based upon trust, something Karen doesn’t take lightly and that he sees as a foundation of photojournalism. “It’s a moment that’s constantly validated, the wordless acceptance into someone’s personal space with a camera,” Karen wrote via email.
These pictures make me wonder if "the redneck" aesthetic was at one time true and then became an institution, or pop-culture interpretations of this segment of America are simply accurate. It's probably a blend of things, but it makes me wonder about how the stories we tell about ourselves influence our realities and vice versa.
My grandparents were blown out of Bastrop County Texas by the dust bowl, and out of Claunch NM by changing weather patterns. Neither one of them finished 8th grade. They were dyed-in-the-wool rednecks. They sure didn't dress like it, though. They wanted to fit in with the people they were surrounded with after the dust bowl, and that was mostly union plumbers, rocket scientists, nuclear researchers and telephone operators. Middle class, basically, with some quirks. My grandfather had a straw hat which he wore when he was working in the sun. That's about as redneck as they got. On the other hand, the "redneck" lifestyle is all but gone (out in the sun so often with no sunscreen that the only parts of skin you expose to the sky are perpetually burned). So adopting the uniform allows you to co-opt the tradition without actually having to live it. It's like Sarah Palin affecting that hokey accent and getting all downy-homey about Wasilla, AK. It makes her look like less of a carpet-bagger. Hate on black people wearing jeans and a RAHOWA shirt? You're a skinhead. Hate on black people tooled up in the confederate flag? Now you're upholding tradition.