Huger Foote
Born-and-raised Memphian and internationally-known photographer Huger Foote is recognized for understated, saturated images of everyday occurrences: a dining room chandelier, a tired grave, and a fog-obscured spotlight. “Avoiding thesis, I let an internal eye do the choosing; I stay open and allow myself be drawn to places and things that move me. The pictures reveal what I am seeking, a hidden story emerging from this land of ghosts, rivers, and sky.”
Untitled, archival pigment print, 30x24”, 2023
In 2020, an initial intention to spend three weeks in the South turned into an eighteen month stay that led to new discoveries in literature and photography. He became accustomed to looking for bullet points and snapshots, and moving on to the next point of interest. Foote spent days in a row working, taking every exit on Interstate 240 or visiting friends’ cabins for the weekend. Allowing himself to slow down and focus on select distractions, he captures moments following human presence.
Untitled, archival pigment print, 24x30” 2020
Foote’s essay Homeward and photographs were published in the Summer 2023 Issue of TheSewaneeReview. They are a tender, thoughtful tribute to Memphis. During his annual pilgrimages to his hometown from Upstate New York, he experiences a variety of transitions, from pleasant jolts to subtle familiarizations that let him know he’s returning home.
Huger Foote was born in Memphis and received his BFA from Sarah Lawrence College. After traveling extensively and living abroad for several years, he now splits time between Memphis and upstate New York. His work has been shown internationally in exhibitions from Memphis to London, New York to Brussels and beyond, and is featured in many public and private collections around the globe. His fashion photography and editorial work has been published in New York Times, Interview, Details, i-D, American Vogue, British Vogue, French Vogue, American Elle, The Observer, Vanity Fair, Spin, Contents, and The Washington Post Magazine. Monographs of his work were published in 2000 and 2015. He lives in Memphis and Upstate New York.