Photographer Aaron Blum's work shines a light on lives of those from Appalachia

You can view more of Aaron's work at the following websites:
http://aaronblumphoto.com/
http://lenscratch.com/2013/12/aaron-blum/
http://blog.photoeye.com/2011/07/photographers-showcase-aaron-blum-born.html

Blum's work shines a light on lives of those from Appalachia
By Kurt Shaw
Wednesday, July 23, 2014

“Appalachian hillbilly” is a term familiar to those who grew up within our tri-state region, but one that most fail to understand. From the Ma and Pa Kettle films of the early 20th century to the West Virginia jokes told at your local watering hole, stereotypes abound about our Appalachian region and its people.

Wanting to explore that, Oakmont-based photographer Aaron Blum, an eighth-generation West Virginian, began a self-assigned photography project titled “Born and Raised.” It's on display at Pittsburgh Filmmakers Galleries in Oakland.

Most of his work centers around a single question, what does it mean to be Appalachian?

Blum lived most of his life in a small town in West Virginia where he was born into Appalachian culture, and, as many young people do, he considered his small town void of any real culture or history, a place without life or meaning....

Read more: http://triblive.com/aande/museums/6486011-74/blum-says-aaron#ixzz39SEMVlSd