Artist's Statement

Edgar Praus

Analog photography with 18 x18" archival fiber prints

My subjects include those in society that seem to have been passed up by time and forgotten by the "system." They all suffer from most of the consequences of the social issues of today including the unequal distribution of wealth, poverty, unequal educational funding, crime & incarceration, health issues and the increasing cost of living. These individuals have a real human dignity and are simply doing what they have to do to survive but the safety net seems to have collapsed around them.

Many of my subjects were naturally gifted with intelligence and in a different social setting would have flourished. Even though I learned of their trials and tribulations I opted to simply photograph them as dignified individuals and not include any text.

The once great city of Buffalo was dealt several blows in the Post

War economy. Its residents - my portrait subjects - seem suspended in time, as much in decline as the city itself. Panhandlers, prostitutes, and can-collectors wander the streets looking for sustenance. On the streets, we meet and come together and make photographs.