Center for Creative Photography

New Topographics

February 19 – May 16, 2010

The exhibition New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-altered Landscape, held in 1975 at George Eastman House, signaled the emergence of a new approach to landscape photography. A new version of this seminal exhibition re-examines more than 100 works from the 1975 show, as well as some 30 prints and books by other relevant artists to provide additional historical and contemporary context. This reconsideration demonstrates both the historical significance of these pictures and their continued relevance today.

Opening Reception and Artists’ Talk

Friday, February 19, Reception at 5 p.m., Discussion at 6 p.m.
Join Bill Jenkins, the curator of the original 1975 presentation of New Topographics and exhibiting artists Joe Deal and Frank Gohlke as they discuss the origins and impact of that seminal project. Moderated by Britt Salvesen, Department Head and Curator of the Wallis Annenberg Department of Photography, and the Department Head and Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Lecture

Friday, February 5, 5:30 p.m.
Conversation at 5:30 p.m., lecture at 6:00p.m.
Define/Defile: Beyond the Surface

Join Harold Jones, the Center’s first director, for a discussion of his recent work, in conjunction with his exhibition A Fortunate Life, which opens on Saturday, February 13, at Artseye Gallery/Photographic Works (3550 East Grant Road; reception Saturday, February 13, 6–9 p.m.).

Visiting Artist’s Lecture

Wednesday, February 17, 5:30 p.m.
For several decades renowned American artist Arnold Crane has been acquainted with and documented the lives of many of the world’s finest photographers, including Man Ray, Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, Paul Strand, Edward Steichen, W. Eugene Smith, Robert Frank, Bernice Abbott, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Harry Callahan, Aaron Siskind, Lee Friedlander, and Garry Winogrand. Highlighting the giants in our field who have made enormous aesthetic contributions to the medium, Crane will present a series of portraits, candid images, and anecdotes to enlighten us about their work and lives. Crane has had numerous one-person exhibitions at museums and galleries in both the United States and Europe. His work is included in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Biblioteque Nationale, Paris.

Selected Readings

Tuesday, March 23, 5:30 p.m.
This event celebrates exhibiting artist Frank Gohlke’s continued exploration of the landscape and the publication of his new book, Thoughts on Landscape: Collected Writings and Interviews (Tucson: Hol Art Books, 2009). Gohlke, Laureate Professor of Photography at the University of Arizona, will sign books following his reading.

Artist’s Talk

Thursday, April 15, 5:30 p.m.
Contemporary artist Paul Graham (U.K., 1956) grew up looking at the work of Robert Frank, William Eggleston, and the photographers of the New Topographics movement. He was among the first to unite contemporary color photography with the classic genre of social documentary. In 2009, Graham exhibited his recent work a shimmer of possibility at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. That work reflects everyday moments of American lives and examines photography's ability to compress or expand time.