https://fsp.trinity.duke.edu/…/hidden-stories-abandoned-pla…
 

"Unfinished Business"
 

A lone dust covered suitcase patiently awaits a reunion that will never take place existing as a memorial and tangible evidence there will always be unfinished business. (2015)
 

Photographer's Notes - Residing in the ruins of an old Warren County, NC farmhouse, a dust covered suitcase exists as a memorial to a final chapter written in the life of a hardworking soul. It is believed that the old farmer who called this old place home fell suddenly ill and either he or his family were preparing for assisted living or possibly an extended hospital stay when things became more dire and final. Along with the suitcase, a collection of well worn wing tip  shoes and work boots have spilled down the stairs from the tattered remains of a cloth shoe holder that once hung on an upstairs bedroom door. A couple elements of this photograph that resonated with me personally was that of the worn out sole of the upside down shoe that resides at the bottom of the steps and the old farm tools propped up against the wall in the far background. The shoe's torn and ripped surface, in my mind, symbolizing what it was like to walk a mile in this man's shoes and the farm implements representing a lifetime commitment to a chosen vocation. These visuals really hit home with me. In regards to my choice not to use color photography, because of the low light conditions of the interior, I felt the scene was best processed as a black & white photograph.