Teeksa Photography

Photography of Skip Schiel

Forms of Poverty

 All images and text copyright Skip Schiel, 2001

How poverty looks and feels--in the streets, in homes, at shelters & food pantries, struggles to change conditions, those conditions themselves, a broad look at contemporary poverty in the United States

The Pentagon, 1981 c.	New York City, 1996 c.	Economic disparity--who has what, the gap--across this country grows more serious with each succeeding year. The ranks of the homeless and poor expand steadily as the wealthiest citizens increase their riches, while admitting few to their narrow circle. This situation is like a great thundercloud building up over the nation. We citizens are uncomfortable with its presence, but remain hopeful that it will, in time, blow away and everything will be all right. In our deepest places, however, we hold a fear that it may burst, and we do not know if it will be a downpour or a deluge. What keeps the fear pulsating beneath our consciousness are the frequent reports of job layoffs and firings under the euphemism of "downsizing;" the news photos of destitute families; the accounts of homeless people dying on the streets of our large cities--this only used to happen in places like India, not in the United States. And then, during re-election time, Congress passes a Welfare Reform Bill as a compromise between the two major political parties in order to avoid the issue in the various campaigns for office. The thundercloud of anxiety looms larger and more ominous for millions. --Dan Turner & Skip Schiel, 1997   Tearing and Mending the Social Fabric: Lives and Struggles in the Welfare World By Dan Turner
Boston Common, 1983 c.	Boston City Hall, 1984 c.
New York City, 1987 c.	Sonia Roberts, Cambridge, MA, 1988

Poverty Resources

Slide shows Other exhibits by Skip Schiel Information about renting the exhibit or buying photographs About Skip Schiel Return to the main page To contact Skip Schiel   (Added February 2001)	All images and text copyright Skip Schiel, 2001   Teeksa Photography--Skip Schiel 9 Sacramento Street Cambridge Massachusetts 02138-1843 617-441-7756 skipschiel@gmail.com classsroom.ccae.org/~schiel

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