Joe Hocker: Hidden River

Joe Hocker’s work investigates the layered relationship between landscape, culture, and the regional history of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Working with photography, material processes, and historical inquiry, Hocker constructs site-based projects that explore how human activity and environmental transformation are mutually imprinted on place. His ongoing body of work, Hidden River, reveals how the past lingers within contemporary environments through an exploration of geography, industry, and social spaces.

Hidden River, a translation of the Dutch word “Schuylkill,” tells the story of the Schuylkill River. Known to the Indigenous Lenape as Ganshowahanna, or “Roaring Stream,” the river has shaped the physical, economic, and cultural development of the region. This body of work traces Hocker’s varied interactions with the river, from crossing its many bridges during his commute to Albright College to teach, to walking its trails and visiting the communities connected by its course.

The indexical nature of photography allows Hocker to document the wide range of spaces that exist on and because of the river. From the still-active anthracite mines at its headwaters to the weaving bridges in Philadelphia at its mouth, the river’s 135-mile length holds deep historical significance. To help viewers experience this layered history, Hocker created an augmented reality website to accompany the printed photographs. Like hidden versions of the placards commonly found along trails, archival images and contextual historical briefs are digitally paired with the physical photographs and can be accessed through smartphone cameras using QR codes presented alongside the works.

About the Artist

Joe Hocker is an artist and educator living and working in Phoenixville, PA. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is held in public and private collections. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Photography and Digital Art at Albright College.

Joe Hocker’s Portfolio Website