Revisiting the Photographs of Marvin Morrison by Gina DeGideo at
Art Intersection, 2013 / Modified Arts, 2016 / ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy, 2022

REVISITING THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF MARVIN MORRISON


Marvin Morrison was a lifelong Arizona farmer and a vernacular photographer. An early member of the successful Morrison Farms, alongside his brother Kenneth, Marvin also worked with community leaders to improve farming operations nationally. For years, while working the land and serving in local business, Marvin carried his camera – shooting the everyday and the significant events in his daily routine. Marvin’s images give a unique insight into a life most do not experience in today’s fast-paced world, and they reveal his overwhelming dedication to the people, activities, and details of his family’s farmland.

In this exhibition I revisit the memories and experiences found in Marvin Morrison’s photographs. The creative writing stories, which accompany some of the images, were constructed from personal memories from Marvin’s close family members that I gathered in several interviews over the course of one year. As a person who has experienced this land in its modern state, yet still remembers some of the history from my own , I now view this place and the people here through a new lens. As a photographer, I appreciate Marvin’s willingness and fortitude to capture his insider view of farm life onto film.

I am thankful to Howard Morrison for allowing me to impress my vision onto his father’s images and to the entire Morrison family for their openness in giving me a glimpse of their family dynamics and histories. Also, a special thank you to Art Intersection for facilitating this commissioned project and providing an initial showing space to bring these images to life.