This hard land

  • Dates
    2018 - Ongoing
  • Author
  • Topics Documentary
  • Location New Jersey, United States

Listening to Springsteen was like looking at hundreds of movies and photo books. Music has the ability to tickle imagination more than any for of art, it gives you images without imposing them, and a photographer has the greatest privilege to draw borders on that, to freely interpretate.

Springsteen songs have been a huge inspiration for me. Stories told in his songs are so full of visual details that one could even argue Springsteen is a photographer himself. 

The aim was to picture his songs and contemporary United States through them: the working class condition, the middle class crisis, the American Dream, broken but still alive, immigration and all the social and cultural fractures in Trump's America. 

Work is one of the most important topics in his songs: Springsteen's workers belong to underqualified tertiary industries of the suburbs and the sprawl of American cities. So these people try to climb the social ladder, and that's the American Dream, the hope that children will have better lives than their parents. This is the most painfully broken promise of the American Dream. 

The context of Springsteen stories are workplaces: car washes, car workshops, supermarkets, laundromats, diners, factories. And you can also have: homes, usually at nighttime, cars, , the sprawl, with its scale of grey that resembles a parking lot. And the night, as a salvation route, theatre of all escapes.

The Springsteen characters have no idea of where this Promised Land may be.

They are workers, fathers and sons, outlaws, veterans that after the war have found a new uniform: the working class army. And of course they are women.

I tell these stories and this topics forty years after the time Springsteen wrote his songs and this is made clear in the pictures.

© Daria Addabbo - La casa al 39½ Institute Street, Freehold, in cui Springsteen ha trascorso la sua infanzia - Freehold, New Jersey
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La casa al 39½ Institute Street, Freehold, in cui Springsteen ha trascorso la sua infanzia - Freehold, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Image from the This hard land photography project
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Lev, di origini ucraine vive negli Stati Uniti da 15 anni, in sella alla sua moto, la sua "baby", come la chiama lui. Patito di automobili e moto. Un giorno mi ha detto: "amo moltissimo mia moglie e per dimostrarglielo le comprerò una Tesla". Gliel'ha comprata - Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Tony,s Freehold Grill – Freehold, New Jersey
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Tony,s Freehold Grill – Freehold, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Asbury Park – New Jersey
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Asbury Park – New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Veterans of Foreign Wars – Freehold, New Jersey
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Veterans of Foreign Wars – Freehold, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Long Branch – New Jersey
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Long Branch – New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Saint Rose of Lima, chiesa che Springsteen ha frequentato durante la sua infanzia – Freehold, New Jersey
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Saint Rose of Lima, chiesa che Springsteen ha frequentato durante la sua infanzia – Freehold, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Freehold, New Jersey
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Freehold, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Convention Hall – Asbury Park, New Jersey
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Convention Hall – Asbury Park, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Image from the This hard land photography project
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Nathalia, di origini brasiliane, vive negli Stati Uniti da qualche anno. Lavora come cassiera in un negozio di prodotti alimentari brasiliani. Long Branch - New jersey.

© Daria Addabbo - Il gruppo Vital Empire Band si esibisce al Wonder Bar – Asbury Park, New Jersey
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Il gruppo Vital Empire Band si esibisce al Wonder Bar – Asbury Park, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Claudio Saltara, di origini umbre, vive a Long Branch dal 1966 - Long Branch, New Jersey.
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Claudio Saltara, di origini umbre, vive a Long Branch dal 1966 - Long Branch, New Jersey.

© Daria Addabbo - Freehold, New Jersey
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Freehold, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Image from the This hard land photography project
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Mike, veterano del Vietnam. Tornato a casa nel 1966, lavorerà tutta la vita come elettricista e poi come vigile del fuoco. Oggi fa parte del Veterans of Foreign Wars, club dei veterani a Freehold - Freehold, New Jersey.

© Daria Addabbo - Staten Island Ferry – New York
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Staten Island Ferry – New York

© Daria Addabbo - Cantiere edilizio – Long Branch, New Jersey
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Cantiere edilizio – Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Raffineria di petrolio – Linden, New Jersey
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Raffineria di petrolio – Linden, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - American Diner – Shrewsbury, New Jersey
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American Diner – Shrewsbury, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Image from the This hard land photography project
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Operai della Nestlé, fabbrica, che si trova a due isolati di distanza dalla casa in cui Springsteen ha trascorso l'infanzia, in cui il padre di Springsteen ha lavorato - Freehold, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Long Branch, New Jersey
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Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Sunny, benzinaio di origini indiane – Freehold, New Jersey
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Sunny, benzinaio di origini indiane – Freehold, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Long Branch, New Jersey
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Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Long Branch, New Jersey
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Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Long Branch, New Jersey
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Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Officina meccanica – Long Branch, New Jersey
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Officina meccanica – Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - John, meccanico – Freehold, New Jersey
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John, meccanico – Freehold, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Nick – Long Branch, New Jersey
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Nick – Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Asbury Park, New Jersey
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Asbury Park, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Ocean Avenue – Long Branch, New Jersey
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Ocean Avenue – Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Wonder Bar – Asbury Park, New Jersey
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Wonder Bar – Asbury Park, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Freehold, New Jersey
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Freehold, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Freehold, New Jersey
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Freehold, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Long Branch, New Jersey
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Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten – Asbury Park, New Jersey
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Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten – Asbury Park, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Freehold, New Jersey
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Freehold, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Karlos, attivista politico, originario di Freehold - Red Bank, New Jersey
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Karlos, attivista politico, originario di Freehold - Red Bank, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Red Bank - New Jersey
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Red Bank - New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Long Branch - New Jersey
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Long Branch - New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Lev. Long Branch - New Jersey
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Lev. Long Branch - New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Roberto - Freehold, New Jersey
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Roberto - Freehold, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - The Stone Pony, locale in cui Springsteen ha suonato spesso - Asbury Park, New Jersey
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The Stone Pony, locale in cui Springsteen ha suonato spesso - Asbury Park, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Long Branch, New Jersey
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Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Margaritaville Casino – Atlantic City, New jersey
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Margaritaville Casino – Atlantic City, New jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Sala prove Rehearsal Studio – Red Bank, New Jersey
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Sala prove Rehearsal Studio – Red Bank, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Brad – Red Bank, New Jersey
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Brad – Red Bank, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - The Stone Pony - Asbury Park, New Jersey
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The Stone Pony - Asbury Park, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Long Branch, New Jersey
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Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Lev - Long Branch, New Jersey
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Lev - Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Oceanport, New Jersey
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Oceanport, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Asbury Park, New Jersey
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Asbury Park, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Colts Neck, New Jersey
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Colts Neck, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Image from the This hard land photography project
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Quel che resta dell'albero amato da Springsteen, in Randolph Street. Si trovava di fronte alla casa dei nonni, che fu demolita per dare spazio a un ampio parcheggio, adiacente la chiesa di Saint Rose of Lima - Freehold, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Neptune, New Jersey
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Neptune, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Eatontown, New Jersey
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Eatontown, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Long Branch, New Jersey
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Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Lev e Svetlana - Long Branch, New Jersey
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Lev e Svetlana - Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Asbury Park, New Jersey
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Asbury Park, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Giovani ragazze si fanno un selfie davanti al muro del Casinò, lungo il boardwalk – Asbury Park, New Jersey
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Giovani ragazze si fanno un selfie davanti al muro del Casinò, lungo il boardwalk – Asbury Park, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Lev e Svetlana, nel giardino della loro abitazione - Long Branch, New Jersey
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Lev e Svetlana, nel giardino della loro abitazione - Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - In volo sull'Oceano Atlantico
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In volo sull'Oceano Atlantico

© Daria Addabbo - Nathalia, di origini brasiliane - Oceanport, New jersey
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Nathalia, di origini brasiliane - Oceanport, New jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Oceanport, New jersey
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Oceanport, New jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Roberto - Freehold, New Jersey
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Roberto - Freehold, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - The Stone Pony - Asbury Park, New Jersey
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The Stone Pony - Asbury Park, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Elizabeth e Adrian, una coppia di origini messicane - Long Branch, New Jersey
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Elizabeth e Adrian, una coppia di origini messicane - Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Asbury Park, New Jersey
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Asbury Park, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Long Branch, New Jersey
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Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Asbury Park, New Jersey
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Asbury Park, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Brad – Red Bank, New Jersey
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Brad – Red Bank, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Red Bank, New Jersey
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Red Bank, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Long Branch, New Jersey
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Long Branch, New Jersey

© Daria Addabbo - Lev che fa il bagno nella neve all'alba - Long Branch, New Jersey
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Lev che fa il bagno nella neve all'alba - Long Branch, New Jersey

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