Portraits of Loss

Photographer Chris Jordan, known for his series "Intolerable Beauty: Portraits of Mass Consumption", features his latest series on his website, "In Katrina's Wake: Portraits of Loss From an Unnatural Disaster."


Remains of a business, St. Bernard Parish

Most of the photos contain a saturated muddiness to them -- sometimes literally, as below -- occasionally broken up by splashes of color, as in the red door above.


Phone book, New Orleans

What stands out in the photos isn't only the destruction but also the personal nature of the objects. For example, it's hard not to think about the family who owned and displayed the blue statue below, their lives, for all intents and purposes, cut short in one way or another by Katrina.


Statue in front yard, Chalmette neighborhood

The image below is reminiscent of Jordan's own Intolerable Beauty series, like the hurricane sped up an unfortunately inevitable process.


Dollar Store near Buras, LA

Many of the photographs possess a haunting beauty that's hard to ignore and accept at the same time.


Baptist church, Ninth Ward neighborhood

Jordan provides a couple links for this series: An article in Grist Magazine and an interview with the photographer.