Henry O. Head: Twelve Acres
In his first photographic volume, American photographer Henry O. Head retraces the emotional terrain of a formative teenage friendship set amidst the Ozark Mountains where he grew up. Between spring 2023 and summer 2024, Head journeyed again through northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri, returning to places like Ponca, Jasper, Purdy, Monett, and Pioneer. This landscape, rugged and untamed, features limestone cliffs streaked with quartz, cottonmouth snakes curled upon roots near languid streams, and ghostly silhouettes of alligator gar drifting silently in murky waters.
Twelve Acres evokes the experience of adolescence beyond urban boundaries, beneath sycamore trees, far from structured institutions and societal expectations. Moving sequentially through the changing seasons, a palpable unease emerges—a desire to resist the inevitable shift toward adulthood, its weight of obligations and banality. This reflective exploration blurs the boundaries between past and present, with stark imagery flickering uncertainly in the depths of memory. Tops spin wildly. Animals dip cautiously into pools shimmering with reflected sunlight. Recollection remains elusive and undefinable. Twelve Acres is an introspective daydream, reviving visions of boys with tick-scarred feet, ears ringing from improvised explosions, clothing infused with smoke from stolen cigarettes, and hands reaching desperately for the uppermost branches.
About the Author
Henry O. Head is a photographer based in Fayetteville, Arkansas, who specializes in portrait, documentary, and conceptual photography, primarily utilizing analog formats (35mm, 120, and 4×5). His current work explores subcultures in the American South and Midwest, as well as his international travels. Head’s photographic journey began informally, shaped by years spent hitchhiking across the US, Australia, and New Zealand, capturing and sharing his experiences through photography. Since dedicating himself professionally in 2015, his approach combines outward exploration and internal reflection, using the camera both as a means to engage with the world and to articulate his own inner experiences and curiosities.
