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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, 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.
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.
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