Alec Soth is a photographer who creates photo-books. His first publication, "Sleeping by the Mississippi," features photographs taken in states surrounding the Mississippi River. They vary from portraits, to still-lifes, to landscapes, and interior scenes, which together, tell a story. The ability to create a visual narration is further enhanced by the book format he uses to display his images.
Within the "Sleeping by the Mississippi" series is a photograph entitled, "Buena Vista." It features a wintry landscape seen from a mountaintop where snow covers the ground and trees are bare. In the foreground there is a statue of Christ being crucified on the cross. The statue, like the surrounding snowy landscape and expansive sky, is white. The legs of Christ are fractured at the knees and one of the legs, although separate from Christ, is still attached to the cross and is hanging upside down. Affixed to the horizontal plank of wood used to create the cross are electrical wires which cast down the mountain like the gaze of Christ.
The image of Christ on the cross is a commonly seen image. It has been depicted in paintings and statues for years as a religious reminder of Christ’s sacrifice for humanity. It is usually displayed on churches or place where people can view it frequently. The Christ featured in Alec Soth's photograph appears isolated, away from humanity, in a barren and dreary landscape. It is broken and forgotten, as well as repurposed for human use, serving the same purpose as an electrical pole. The image tells one side of the story on the state of religion in Buena Vista County, Iowa.
Separate from the photo book, "Buena Vista" is a photograph that can create a story, which is important to Soth as a photographer. In that regard, this image is successful, and compliments the rest of his work. However, Alec Soth intends for his images to be viewed as a whole, within the context of a book which makes it is difficult to assign one image as the epitome of him as a photographer. Isolating an image distorts the stories he is telling through the use of multiple pictures.
