I photograph peasant culture and peasant rebellion, the rebellion of farmers.
Land makes people into who they are, and when they lose it, they lose their identity.
That perspective guides Towell's most recent book, El Salvador , a collection of images published by the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University in association with W. W. Norton. Presented by the Roloff Beny Foundation in Toronto, the award recognizes the work of Canadian photographers and aims to encourage excellence in photographic publishing. Iris Tillman Hill, who directs the publishing program at the Center for Documentary Studies, pointed out the importance of the award to photographic book publishing. As a result, important work often does not get published. This award will encourage photographers and publishers.