All images ©Tammy Mercure
The work sent was sent by Tammy Mercure from the project Big Rock Candy Mountain, of which she writes:
"I am photographing the tourist towns that accompany the natural beauty of The Great Smoky Mountains. The most notable of the towns are Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg in Tennessee and Cherokee in North Carolina. The pure spectacle of the towns brimming with shopping, all-you-can-eat buffets, and pure entertainment, stop some visitors from even seeing the nature up close and unmediated. The attractions fascinate me as they speak to our deepest desires, like being close to wild animals and being transported to new fantastic places for escape. I am also interested in capturing the symbols of the area, like Dolly Parton, bears, and Indians."
Tammy Mercure has exhibited nationally in the US, including solo shows at Chicago Cultural Center in Illinois and group shows at Catherine Edelman Gallery in Chicago. She has received numerous awards and grants, including a Polaroid Art Support Grant and several CAAP grants from the City of Chicago. Her work is included in the Midwest Photographer's Project at the Museum of Contemporary Photography. Images from Wonders were published in the book "Place, Art, and Self" by Yi-Fu Tuan. She was the Digital Imaging Facilities Coordinator (1999-2007) at Columbia College Chicago where she received her B.A. She is currently residing in Johnson City TN where she is pursuing her M.F.A. at East Tennessee State University.
