Hodges, John. Southern Squares by John Hodges.

Light Work, Syracuse University, 1989. Stapled wraps, 8 pages including illustrated covers, 38 square format portraits in black-and-white.  Very good with corner creases at bottom of last three leaves and mailing label on back cover.  Summary:

Southern Squares (1989) is a slim photographic publication by artist John Hodges, produced and published by Light Work at Syracuse University. Conceived and compiled during Hodges's time as an Artist-in-Residence at Light Work in May 1989, the brief work is presented in a stapled softcover booklet format spanning just under ten pages.

The publication serves as a concise visual study of everyday life, regional identity, and community structures across the American South. Across its pages, the book features 38 black-and-white portraits captured exclusively in a distinct, medium-format square composition. Rather than relying on sweeping landscape views or heavy editorial text, Hodges uses this tight, geometric framing to deliver a highly focused, intimate documentation of diverse individuals and local residents throughout the Southern states.

Beyond his publication of Southern Squares and his time as an Artist-in-Residence at Light Work in May 1989, public biographical information on photographer John Hodges is exceptionally sparse. Institutional records indicate that Hodges was a published fiction writer alongside his work in photography. His unique dual background in literature and visual arts heavily informed his documentary approach, allowing him to treat his photographic subjects with the narrative intimacy found in regional storytelling. His work from this era has been showcased in select group exhibitions and university collections centered around contemporary American documentary photography.