Walker Evans »
Beyond Documentary
Exhibition: 5 Jan – 23 Feb 2008
Stephen Cohen Gallery
7358 Beverly Boulevard
CA 90036 Los Angeles
Cohen Gallery
7358 Beverly Boulevard
CA 90036 Los Angeles
+1-323-9375525
sc@stephencohengallery.com
www.stephencohengallery.com
Tue-Sat 11-17 +
The Stephen Cohen Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition of classic Walker Evans images that highlight the historical importance and influence of Evans' work on the history of photography and art. Included in the exhibition will be contemporary digital carbon pigment prints shown in conjunction with older silver gelatin prints of iconic Walker Evans images. Having emerged as one of the most talented photographers of the government sponsored Farm Security Administration, Walker Evans' meticulous observations remain some of the most powerful testaments of the Great Depression. His keen obsession with the minute details of American life speak volumes about not only the people and places he photographed, but also about the photographer himself. Speaking about his work, Evans' states: "Nobody knows what art is, and it can't be taught. It's the mind and the talent of the eye of the individual who is operating the machine that produces what comes out of it". Indeed it is Evans' "eye" that distinguishes him from other photographers. From his classic images of Southern churches to his photographs of vernacular commercial signage, Evans' pictures from the 1930s document a moment in America's history that reveal a nation struggling with transformation. Produced by Martson Hill Editions, many of the prints in the exhibition were made from high-resolution drum scans which allow us to see details previously unseen in many of Evans' most well known images. Digital technologies give extraordinary control over tonal range sometimes articulating information that traditional Silver Gelatin papers cannot. To highlight the differences in technologies, the exhibition will also include selected examples of older Evans work. Printed on Silver Gelatin paper, these rarely seen older pieces will provide an excellent opportunity to compare older processes with newer ones. Walker Evans was the first photographer to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 1938. His work is in many of the most prestigious national and international museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art, NY, and The JP Getty Museum, Los Angeles among others. Evans' work during his time with the FSA is widely credited with influencing the development of the history of American photography.