In the spring of 2011, photographer Maureen Robinson found herself working with a unique subculture during a particularly harrowing period of her life. While undergoing chemotherapy, she befriended and photographed young vagabonds who hop trains and congregate in the Little Five Points area of Atlanta. A collection of these images, entitled “Travelers,” is on display at the Flood Gallery in the Phil Mechanic Studios through December. The 26 black-and-white images comprise both posed and candid portraits, details, expressions and interactions. Images like “Letter Home” focus on the dirty nails and rough skin of a hand holding a cigarette while frozen over a laptop, on which the hopper writes home to his family. “Black Dog” presents two young men staring directly at the camera with a dog between them. One shows an expression of intensity and pride, the other of honesty and ease — both instantly arresting the viewer.
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