Photographer and current MTSU Department of Media Arts lecturer Ian Edward White presented a warm, familiar perspective of the rural American South to a packed room in the John Bragg Media and Entertainment Building on Thursday, Feb. 26, as part of the Artist Talk Series.
White’s ongoing photo series, “Townes Ferry Pike,” takes viewers on a road trip through Middle Tennessee.
In a statement to “PhMuseum,” he describes this series as “an emotional mapping of a place while reflecting on how a Southern town is perceived through space and time.”
Attendees were treated to a lively slideshow of the landscape and characters of towns such as Shelbyville, Rock Island, McMinnville, Columbia and Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Accompanying his photographs were White’s reflections on life and photography, as well as the lessons he learned from each town he visited.
In a Q&A following the presentation, the artist elaborated further on his observations of life and his inspiration for this series. A native Californian, White confessed to having what he described as a “very limited view” of American Southern life, citing the 2000 satirical comedy-drama film “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” starring George Clooney as one of his initial exposures to life in the region.
When asked about his current feelings toward the region after living and experiencing it, White said it was important for him to use his photography to capture the culture and dignity of rural areas of the South that are often left on the periphery of the metropolitan areas they surround.
The lecturer described photography as an outlet for him to connect to the places and people he visited.
The attendees were mainly students, many of whom have had or currently have White as their teacher. The admiration for White and his work was clear as they walked through The Baldwin Photographic Gallery, where White’s series is currently on display.
Senior Elisa Williams, a photography minor and a current student of White, described him as a personable and honest teacher who always goes out of his way to help students. Williams said that seeing him talk about his work and methods was the main reason she attended the lecture, and she was surprised by how the entire presentation had what she described as “a text feel.”
“It was really cool to see how he personally involves text into his image and into his work,” Williams said.
Another of White’s current students, senior video and film production major Erika Hill, also expressed admiration for her teacher and the subject matter of his series.
“What I really loved is that he was photographing the Tennessee that I remember,” Hill said. “I feel kind of ashamed to say sometimes that I’m from Tennessee, because it’s not the same Tennessee that I grew up with, but he’s capturing how I remember it as it is now.”
White’s series “Townes Ferry Pike” is currently on display at The Baldwin Photographic Gallery, located on the second floor of the John Bragg Media and Entertainment Building, until Apr. 10, 2026.
To follow White and his work, visit his website or follow him on Instagram.
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