Silent Ballad by American photographer Rachel Boillot is a documentary project which explores musical heritage in the mountains of East Tennessee. Religious belief, the rural landscape, and the old-time music tradition all inform this portrait of place. The work is available as a limited edition photo-book, which also includes an album of the musicians depicted.
Rachel (b. 1987) is a photographer, documentary artist and educator currently based in Caryville, Tennessee. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from Tufts University, a B.F.A. in Photography from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, and an M.F.A in Experimental and Documentary Arts from Duke University.
She has recently worked as a Photography Professor at Duke University, Assistant Producer at Sandrock Recordings, and a Multimedia Documentarian for the Friends of the Cumberland Trail.
Text and images © Rachel Boillot