Issue #09 / Eden / Joel Sternfeld

Sternfeld's photographs reframe perceptions of society, creating a portrait of the typical through a vision of the alternative. In the act of photographing each community he extends the political reach of each; Sweet Earth makes visible a range of incompatible alternative societies, from Seaside in Florida that was used as the set for the film The Truman Show, through to the progressive art education that took place at Black Mountain College. The very imperative to try and make a better life indicates dissatisfaction with the status quo, making this a project tinged with sadness in the knowledge of the failure of  'regular' society to deliver a fulfilling life. As with science fiction, each one of these utopian attempts has been produced by the dystopian surrounding world.