Vivid, clear-sighted images of American vernacular signage and architecture encountered along old US highways showcase the early black-and-white work of the acclaimed photographer Jim Dow The American photographer Jim Dow (b. 1942) is renowned for photographs that depict the built environment-he first gained attention for his panoramic triptychs of baseball stadiums-and for his skill at conveying the "human ingenuity and spirit" that suffuse the spaces. This book is the first to focus on Dow's early black-and-white pictures, featuring more than 60 photographs made between 1967 and 1977, a majority of which have never before been published. Indebted to the work of Walker Evans, a key mentor of Dow's, these photographs depict time-worn signage taken from billboards, diners, gas stations, drive-ins, and other small businesses. While still recognizable as icons of commercial Americana, without their context Dow's signs impart ambiguous messages, often situated between documentation and abstraction. Including a new essay by Dow that reveals his own perspective on the development of the work, Signs suggests how these formative years honed the artist's sensibility and conceptual approach. Distributed for The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Exhibition Schedule: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO (May 7-October 9, 2022)

The demanding frontier life of "My Antonia "or "Little House on the Prairie "may be long gone, but the idyllic small town still exists as a cherished icon of American community life. Yet sprawl and urban density, rather than small towns and farms, are the predominant features of our modern society, agribusiness and other commercial forces have rapidly taken over family farms and ranches, and even the open spaces we think of as natural retreats only retain the barest facade of their former frontier austerity. The fading communities, social upheaval, and enduring heritage of the Northern Plains are the subject of Jim Dow's "Marking the Land," a stirring photographic tribute to the complex and unyielding landscape of North Dakota.
Jim Dow began making pilgrimages to this remote territory in 1981 and, with a commission from the North Dakota Museum of Art, he took photographs of the passing human presence on the land. The simple, stolid pieces of architecture carved out against the Dakota skies--whether the local schoolhouse, car wash, prison, homes, hunting lodge, or churches--evoke in their spare lines and weather-battered frames the stoic and toughened spirit of the people within their walls. Folk art is also an integral part of the landscape in Dow's visual study, and he examines the subtle evolution of local craftsmanship from homemade sculptures, murals, and carvings to carefully crafted pieces aimed at tourists. Anchoring all of these explorations is the raw and striking landscape of the North Dakota plains.
"Marking the Land "is a moving reflection by a leading American photographer on the state of the Northern Plains today, forcing us all to rethink our conceptions ofAmerica's forgotten frontier.

The demanding frontier life of "My Antonia" or "Little House on the Prairie" may be long gone, but the idyllic small town still exists as a cherished icon of American community life. Yet sprawl and urban density, rather than small towns and farms, are the predominant features of our modern society, agribusiness and other commercial forces have rapidly taken over family farms and ranches, and even the open spaces we think of as natural retreats only retain the barest facade of their former frontier austerity. The fading communities, social upheaval, and enduring heritage of the northern plains are the subject of Jim Dow's "Marking the Land", a stirring photographic tribute to the complex and unyielding landscape of North Dakota. Jim Dow began making pilgrimages to this remote territory in 1981 and, with a commission from the North Dakota Museum of Art, he took photographs of the passing human presence on the land. The simple, stolid pieces of architecture carved out against the Dakota skies - whether the local schoolhouse, car wash, prison, hunting lodge, a home, or a church - evoke in their spare lines and weather-battered frames the stoic and toughened spirit of the people within their walls. Folk art is also an integral part of the landscape in Dow's visual study, and he examines the subtle evolution of local craftsmanship from homemade sculptures, murals, and carvings to carefully crafted pieces aimed at tourists. Anchoring all of these explorations is the raw and striking landscape of the North Dakota plains. "Marking the Land" is a moving reflection by a leading American photographer on the state of the northern plains today, forcing us all to rethink our conceptions of America's forgotten frontier.