Ronan Gallagher is an Irish, London-based portrait, fashion and documentary photographer.
In 2010 he held his first exhibition entitled ‘Yatra’about India’s people and its culture.
His most recent project brought him to Slab City in the Colorado Desert.
An ex-military training base, this state-owned scrubland is now adorned with concrete slabs where the barracks once stood. Over time, people have taken some form of refuge on the slabs.
This series, entitled ‘Last Free State’ follows those who settle in these harsh desert conditions which can reach temperatures of 120°F during the summer months.
This desolate settlement is populated primarily by society’s dropouts and some who have, in desperation, taken refuge from recession. Here, there is no rent and no authority. These people survive with no electricity, no sewerage and no running water. Most slab-dwellers survive on government checks, food stamps and donations.
