Photographer Documents Overlooked Communities in America’s Heartland

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a prisoner’s hands through a slot in a cell door, a firefighter standing amidst smoke, and a woman in lingerie and high heels holding a stack of money.

A documentary photographer spent three years traveling the spine of America to explore division in the U.S. by spending time with people he says have been ignored politically, socially, and culturally for decades.

Photographer Richard Sharum explored the 100-mile wide corridor that runs from the Canadian border all the way down to the Mexican border and covers the Dakotas, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. It’s an area often dubbed as “flyover” country, a term Sharum believes is condescending.

A person stands on a snowy landscape, wearing overalls and a hoodie. They hold a staff topped with a fish sculpture. The sky is cloudy, and the ground is covered in snow. The scene is desolate and wintry.

A black and white image of an older person standing in front of a wooden wall, holding a bowling ball. The wall displays several bowling pins with names and numbers written on them. The person is wearing glasses, a sweater, jeans, and sneakers.

Black and white image of a man with long hair standing confidently against a fabric backdrop. He is wearing an open shirt that reveals his toned abdomen and jeans, with hands in pockets and a calm expression.

Child's drawing of the United States map with "United States of America" written above and "Spino" vertically on the map. Surrounding the map are doodles of stars, arrows, and hearts. Signature "Lilly" at the bottom right corner.

Sharum spoke to over 4,000 people and took over 14,000 photographs which ultimately turned into a book called Spina Americana. He was not only documenting that geographical area but also looking at what has been dividing the United States in recent years which he says is at a level not seen since the preceding years of the Civil War.

“I have been increasingly interested and anxious about our national divisions and I feel I am not alone in this anxiety,” he tells PetaPixel.

“The powers that be have done a really good job at stoking divisions over the last two decades. In addition, I have always been interested in documenting groups that are easily looked over and ignored en masse.”

Three children in swimsuits stand in front of a wooden platform with stacks of wood. An American flag is displayed on the structure behind them. The scene is in black and white.

A black and white image of an outdoor gathering on a grassy hill, featuring a large round arena surrounded by people and various tents. Cars are parked nearby, with vast fields and rolling hills in the background.

Black and white image of four people bending over while working in a large field of crops. They are spaced out in rows, tending to the plants. Several baskets are on the ground, likely used for harvesting.

Sharum shot the project between February 2021 and November 2023. He grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, and saw people working long hours for little pay which he says directly influences his work.

“I was also on the receiving end of quite a bit of verbal and physical abuse due to the color of my skin, and had to learn quickly on defending myself,” he says.

“I was able to view humanity for what it is and see how fragile one’s beliefs are when faced with another reality. I have taken that strategy into adulthood and it is obvious to me that practically all of what we deem to be different amongst ourselves is a fantasy.

“We are all almost exactly the same, regardless of color, language, culture, etc. Therefore, the barriers preventing cohesion and progress are only there because we allow them.”

When asked what he learned from the project he says that “most people just want to be seen and heard, and once they feel that, they open up like a flower.”

A firefighter wearing protective gear, including a helmet and gloves, stands amidst smoke and charred ground. He is looking directly at the camera, with a background of thick smoke and sparse vegetation. The image is in black and white.

A person stands in a kitchen holding a large cotton candy. They wear an apron over a white shirt and jeans. The kitchen has various equipment and containers, with a trash bin and cotton candy machine visible. Black and white image.

A black-and-white photo of a prison hallway. A pair of handcuffed hands reach out through a small opening in a cell door on the left. The corridor is empty, with closed doors and fluorescent lights on the ceiling.

A woman with curly hair sits on a bench in a dressing room, wearing lingerie and high heels. She holds a stack of cash in her hands and looks upward, with a thoughtful expression. A cellphone rests beside her. The image is in black and white.

Sharum used a Sony RX1R II to shoot the project and eschewed color.

“It is black and white for two reasons: One, I am heavily color-blind and cannot process color. Two, for me black and white allows me to strip down the essence of what I am trying to show without any distractions to the viewer,” he explains.

“It is hard to get the viewer to concentrate on the eyes of a migrant laborer, standing in a field, if he is also wearing a bright red shirt. Black and white allows me to get to the bones of what I am saying.”