In 1999, Soth made a road trip down the Mississippi River and found that the river functioned exceptionally well as both guide and metaphor for his own photographic interests. He has since made several trips down the River Road. The result, Sleeping by the Mississippi, is about the spirit of the river and life along its banks. Rather than narrate a specific story, Mr. Soth uses his 8” x 10” camera to photograph a distinct feeling which speaks to a particularly American understanding of freedom. The geographic journey begins in the frozen winters of Minnesota and wanders south into the heat of Louisiana. While not all of the photographs are of people, nearly all of the images suggest the lives of people. Whether photographing washed-up debris or an abandoned interior, Soth claims to be making a kind of portrait. It is through these small lives that the big river gets its meaning. Sleeping by the Mississippi is Alec Soth’s first exhibition in New York. Mr. Soth’s work is quickly gaining recognition, and will be included in the 2004 Whitney Biennial, which will concurrently be on view. In addition, Mr. Soth’s first monograph will be published by Steidl in 2004. Alec Soth was born in Minnesota and holds a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY and currently teaches at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Soth’s work has been exhibited in the United States, and is currently in several private and public collections including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Walker Art Center. He is the recipient of a McKnight Photography Fellowship, a Minnesota State Arts Board Grant, and the 2003 Santa Fe Prize for photography.