Starting in 1995, Black began photographing his home region in earnest, seeking to capture the marginalization and fortitude of communities throughout the Central Valley of California. Photo essays like “City of Exiles,” “From Dust to Dust,” “Dessicated Dreams,” “The Lost Boys of California,” “The Dry Land,” “The Valley of Thirst,” “Droughtlandia,” and “I Don’t Think You Should Go to Work Today” portray the hardships faced by many Valley residents as they worked to live in one of the greatest agricultural regions of the world, responsible for billions of dollars in output, but whose communities are marked by poverty, unemployment, and lack of health and education. Presented here is a selection from these pieces.
