David Billet and Ian Kline took the pictures in Rabbit / Hare during a trip to Texas. From the beginning this statement will create a certain set of expectations among the viewers of this book: perhaps no other region of the United States has such a strong set of preconceptions. So yes: you will see ten-gallon hats, a whimsical Confederate flag. Even a baptism in a drinking trough.
But the real glory of Rabbit / Hare is how its creators managed to challenge these easy stereotypes: these images do not derive their palpable life from mere subjects. In this book, butterflies and back hair are both wrapped in an aura of magic. The qualities of light are equally qualities of sensitivity. The human beings in the images gently enjoy the pleasures of horseback riding, or smoking cigarettes, or exposing their skin to the sun and air.
Rabbit / Hare will not tell us anything about how to evaluate a particular state or region or electorate sample. What we will see is simply an invitation to meet the world with open minds and hearts and to create something lasting from that meeting.
