Gardner Mounce's Photographic Exploration of Abandoned Mid-South Landscapes in 'Vanishing Twin'

Photographer Gardner Mounce is developing his debut photography book titled 'Vanishing Twin,' a project initiated in 2021 that examines both physical and psychological landscapes. This endeavor stems from a significant personal transformation during the pandemic, when Mounce returned to his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, and was later diagnosed with a chronic illness that profoundly disrupted his life. The condition caused severe exhaustion, confining him indoors for extended periods and stripping away his ability to travel, write, play music, or socialize. Bedridden, he experienced a loss of identity, struggling to connect with his past self. After months of research, largely conducted by his wife, Mounce found a treatment that restored his health, albeit precariously. This ordeal deeply influenced his artistic practice, leading him to revisit photography, a passion he had set aside since college. 'Vanishing Twin' focuses on deserted sites across the Mid-South region, captured with techniques that evoke a dreamlike and unsettling atmosphere. The abandonment reflected in these spaces mirrors Mounce's own feelings of neglect within a healthcare system that often dismisses chronic illnesses as psychological issues. Using long exposures, laser pointers, torches, and flashes, he transforms rural settings in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi into images that blur the lines between reality and decay. His work invites viewers into a sparse world where boundaries between presence and absence, life and oblivion, become indistinct, offering a meditation on impermanence and personal resilience.