Point and Periphery:
Photographs From Small Missouri Towns
Donald Trump won the 2016 United States presidential election by securing 306 electoral votes. While the results of that election shocked many of the cable news pundits, rural voters, including those in my home state of Missouri, overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump. In fact, the only exception in Missouri were counties of metropolitan cities like Kansas City and St. Louis. In 2020, Trump would again win Missouri, this time by a 15.4% margin.
I decided to hit the road in order to explore and document the small-town communities across the state of Missouri that voted to elect Trump. Utilizing data from the 2010 United States Census, I photographed at least one small town in each of Missouri's 114 counties with a population of approximately 1,000 or more, excluding the cities of Kansas City, and St. Louis. I have endeavored to reveal not only a contemporary sense of place and culture but also signs and clues of their history. In documenting the everyday places, things, and people found in these communities, I hope my photographs may begin to address the impact of politics, war, economics, education, race and religion on people’s lives.
