February 21, 2006—Oberlin College's Allen Memorial Art Museum has put together a new exhibition tracing the physical and intellectual changes that have taken place in American photography. Drawing on its rich collection of photography, Facing America: Portraits of the People and the Land is on view in the museum's Ripin Gallery February 18 - September 3, 2006. The exhibition spans the last 75 years of photography in the United States, offering a range of viewpoints and interpretations, from idyllic and glorified images of the land to candid and unforgiving portraits of the people.

Photographs by Edward Steichen, Margaret Bourke-White, Walker Evans, and Bernice Abbott that were taken in the 1930s and 1940s reflect an attitude of optimism and unity. The artists' search for the dignity and beauty of humankind offered subjects and themes that were embraced by many, and made photo magazines like Life and Fortune enormously popular. These images contrast sharply with photographs from the later half of the century, when photographers such as Robert Franks, Diane Arbus, and Cindy Sherman played on the falsity of the so-called American ideal.

Paralleling these changes in attitudes towards portraiture and genre is a simultaneous shift in landscape photography--from magnificent, sprawling, Western panoramas to harsher urban and industrial landscapes, such as those by photographers Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, and Joel Peter Sternfeld. The increasing complexity of still life images also evolved during this time due to advancements in camera technology, diversifying its role as an artistic medium. Artists Harold Edgerton, Eva Hesse, and Gabriel Orozco exemplify this with their works.

Facing America: Portraits of the People and the Land was curated by intern Nadia Fellah '06 with Stephen D. Borys, curator of Western Art. On Tuesday, February 14 at 2:30 p.m., Nadia will give a talk about the exhibition.

The Allen Memorial Art Museum, located in downtown Oberlin at 87 N. Main Street, is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 1 to 5 pm. Admission and parking are free. For more information visit our web site at www.oberlin.edu/allenart or call 440.775.8665.