| I was born on a small family farm in Sullivan County. My photography reverberates with the love I hold for the rural landscape and an admiration for the ‘country lifestyle’ that remains a large part of my life. My intent is to produce photographs that are sensitive, peaceful and sometimes poignantly somber. The images pay tribute to the barns, farmhouses, open fields, hills, sky and trees that are so familiar and yet so special to us all. Traveling the back roads and country lanes searching for remnants of my past, I am delighted to fine yet another old barn, farm complex or outbuilding remaining, fighting against the odds of neglect and nature reclaiming its own. Barn boards, stone foundations, irregular panes of glass, which were strictly functional have now become beautifully decorated with wisteria vines and strings of ivy. Farm implements such as hay rakes and cutting bars sit in neglected fields like statues in an outdoor sculpture garden. The need to photograph is a combination of documentary recordings and a passion to raise these historic relics to the stature of grandeur and majesty that they deserve. Photography continues to excite and entice as I learn new processes, explore new mediums and go down untraveled roads. |
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laverneblack 
Outstanding photos. The composition is such that they speak volumes in their stark, raw form. I am a grandson of the immigrant farmer that created Kross Farms and I am over whelmed with the nostalgia that your photos capture. I can enter every door and know what is behind it. I can see my Grandmother sitting on the front porch; open the door and my Grandfather is sitting in his chair reading. I can see and smell the bullpen and the cows entering the barn. You have captured it in an astounding manner. Thank you.
Thank you Paul,
This means so much to me….it is my hope that when I photograph these fallen down and almost forgotten farms someone out there cares and remembers too! It is my goal to record these memories for generations to come as well.
Interestingly what brought me to the Kross farm was that my husband John Black worked for Morris Cross as a young boy/man.He helped mostly with the chickens and picking cucumbers. I am sure he would like to share many more memories with you. He asks which of the boys was your father?
We stopped one day and had a nice visit with your aunt Susan who gave us permission to wander and take pictures. A memorable time.
Looking forward to more conversations….LaVerene