2019 — “Atlanta: Then & Now” Featuring Rusty Miller
This exhibit featured photographs by Rusty Miller, who documented segregated Atlanta in the 1960s, juxtaposed with work by three student photographers showing their perspectives of Atlanta today.
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Photo: Samuel Sinclair
Ashley Ausburn, the exhibit curator and one of the featured photographers, spoke at the exhibit about the impact of Rusty Miller’s work and the goal of our exhibit:
“People care about other people. It’s something we’ve all heard before and Rusty Miller knew exactly what that meant. In his photos, you can see humanity. He had the ability to capture genuine emotion in a way unparalleled by many other photographers. Each one of his photographs makes you feel something. To me, that’s the mark of a truly great photographer.
Our goal for this project was to capture that same humanity in our photos. We wanted to show how the people — the heart of the city — have changed. Through direct and indirect comparisons, differences and similarities are highlighted against the Atlanta backdrop. Since Rusty Miller didn’t publish any of his work while he was alive, we don’t know much about him and where he photographed except for a few general areas that we returned to for direct comparisons. Most of them have changed. Some have become condos, new buildings or parking lots. Time touched each one in a different way.”
Video Still: Fiori Films
Melody McLaurin, one of the featured photographers, described her experience of Rusty Miller’s photos:
“This is what we see in Rusty Miller’s photos. Even though they were taken way before I was born, the beauty of his photos is that I still see Atlanta. Its hearty people, its endless construction and my home.”
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