THE DEBT PROJECT
99 PORTRAITS ACROSS AMERICA
In 2013, Brittany Powell made the difficult decision to file for bankruptcy for her photography business. In the years following the 2008 economic collapse, she found herself in a significant amount of debt, a position many Americans across the country still share, a common yet isolating and private experience often steeped in shame.
Her personal experience, inspired by the “We Are the 99%” slogan that came out of the Occupy movement, brought her to start the Debt Project, an exploration of the role debt and finance plays in our personal identity and social structure. This book presents an intimate look into 99 different lives: each shares an arrestingly honest portrait in the person’s home, surrounded by all their belongings, accompanied by a handwritten note of the amount of debt that person is in and the story behind the numbers.
The Debt Project, with a foreword by writer and filmmaker Astra Taylor, examines the social and personal hold debt has on us and invites others into a private world, while at the same empowering people to share their stories and overcome the shame they may feel.