Sarah Stacke: Photography, Archival Research, and Uncovering Hidden Histories

Photographer & Archival Researcher

• 💡 Sarah Stacke is a photographer, writer, and archival researcher focused on intimate stories from under-resourced and under-represented communities.
• 🌎 Her projects span South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the United States, exploring intersections of history, culture, and geography.
• 📚 Stacke holds an MA from Duke University and is pursuing an MFA in Image Text at Cornell, teaching on archives and collective memory.

Guiding Principles & Influences

• 🔑 Mentored by Burt Glinn of Magnum Photos, she learned the importance of accountability and high standards in her work.
• 🧠 Her approach to archives is shaped by thinkers like Achille Mbembe, emphasizing what futures they make possible beyond their materiality.
• 📖 Influential books include "Refiguring the Archive" and "Decolonial Archival Futures," guiding her work with Indigenous archives.

The "Love from Manenberg" Project

• 🇿🇦 This ongoing project documents life in Manenberg, South Africa, focusing on the experiences of women and children in a "colored" community.
• ⚠️ Manenberg, established during apartheid, faces severe challenges like gang violence, with residents often caught in crossfire.
• 🤝 Stacke maintains a deep, long-term relationship with families, particularly Debbie, highlighting the power of connection across difference.
• 📚 The project culminated in a book, chosen over traditional media due to the nuance and complexity of the story, allowing for a layered narrative.

"In Light and Shadow": Indigenous Voices

• 📸 Co-authored with Brian Adams, this book, "In Light and Shadow," showcases Indigenous American photography from the 19th century to the present.
• ✊ It aims to highlight how Indigenous photographers reclaim cultural spaces and create a photographic record that enriches Indigenous lives.
• 🖼️ The book features diverse artists like Ella Mad Plume Yellow Wolf (Blackfeet Nation) and student photographers from Stewart Indian School, demonstrating acts of resistance and self-narration.
• 🎯 Published by Hachette, the book prioritizes accessibility and wide distribution to ensure its important content reaches a broad audience.

Evolving Practice & Future Work

• 🌱 Stacke is currently pursuing an MFA at Cornell, shifting towards conceptual work and creative writing while continuing archival engagement.
• 🌲 Her new work explores themes of early American history, mythology, and the American unconscious through photography in the Catskills.
• ✅ She emphasizes the importance of collaborative processes and ethical engagement, ensuring all work is reviewed by artists, archives, or descendants.