Chris RhodesPhotography / States of IndependenceChris Rhodes shoots first and asks questions laterExploring the faded glamour of Memphis through his rapid-fire photo seriesShareLink copied ✔️August 12, 2014PhotographyStates of IndependenceText Sian Dolding What springs to mind when you think of Memphis? Cliched country singers? Blue suede shoes, Elvis? For photographer Chris Rhodes, shooting the iconic city was all about facing off to those stereotypes. Drawing on the classic works of Stephen Shore and Joel Sternfeld, Rhodes' shots take their cue from that quintessentially '70s aesthetic. "America has clearly always embodied a certain pictorial culture, an iconic society", he says of the enduring lure the USA still holds for many photographers. "You know the clichés before visiting a place, but until you actually get there, it’s hard to know what to expect. Memphis encapsulates the notion of faded glamour that seems easy to reach but maybe only because it’s a mirage." Although this series is short on people, Rhodes comes at his shoots from a surprisingly anthropological place, "My process is very much focused on people without always even showing them in the images, but systematically representing them through objects, and colours". Describing how his style has gone from measured and solitary to instinctively brash, he talks of fast-paced shoots, putting speed over focus in a bid to capture the raw immediacy of his surroundings. "Sometimes I don’t manage to catch them, and they're gone forever" he admits, "But there's something nice about the ones that get away. I still think about those photographs that never happened." Welcome to MemphisEscape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.TrendingInside Dazed League, a tribute to soccer in North AmericaFor the limited-edition zine, made in partnership with Nike, we connect with grassroots heroes across the US soccer scene to benchmark where we’re at as the tide turns on home turfDazed LeagueMusicConfessions II: 7 raw and vulnerable easter eggs on Madonna’s new album Dazed LeagueGeneration soccer: 8 game-changers on why the game matters for AmericaBeauty10 of the hottest Instagram accounts fusing art, sex and eroticaBeautyNude awakening: Meet the young people embracing naturismFilm & TV7 films to watch if you loved Obsession BeautyJuly 2026 Horoscope: The most important celestial event of the 21st centuryReplitLife & CultureWhat Went Down at the inaugural vibeconBeautyThis film gives looksmaxxing men the body horror treatmentEscape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy