now available for exhibition

A view onto the cultural and physical landscape of The South

This critically acclaimed and internationally recognized photography project is now available for exhibition.

Waffle House Vistas documents the built environment of the southeastern United States as seen through the windows of Waffle House restaurants. This photographic inquiry contemplates economic precarity and the social demographics of America’s poor and working class through the lens of the beloved cultural fast-food icon.

These photographs ask viewers to look up from their hash browns and see the institutions and structures that create real, yet rarely acknowledged, boundaries that feel impossible to break through for much of this country. The narrative threads of poverty, race, and regionalism adjoin those of fast food, economics, and politics.

The artist visited over one hundred restaurants in eleven states while following a strict set of rules: he sat down where he was able, ordered coffee and some food, and photographed what he saw from his seat. The images look out from booths and chairs, placing the viewer as both the patron and the witness.

Possessing broad appeal, the project has been featured and discussed widely. The accompanying photography book, published by The Bitter Southerner, has sold over to 7,000 copies across three printings. A second edition with over 40 new photographs was published in December of 2022.

To discuss how you can present Waffle House Vistas to your visitors and patrons, contact Alice Cookson - alicejcookson@gmail.com