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Introduction

America in View

Landscape Photography 1865 to Now
September 21, 2012 - January 13, 2013

America in View: Landscape Photography 1865 to Now offers a history of photographs of the American landscape primarily through the collection of the RISD Museum. The ever-evolving definition of landscape photography encompasses everything from seemingly pristine vistas captured with 19th century view cameras to the decaying urban streets composed today from Google Street View. The RISD Museum's collection of American landscape photography begins at the end of the Civil War in 1865, when photographers traveled west with government survey teams and railroad companies to record the country's extraordinary natural features and resources. Ever since, landscape has remained a compelling subject for photographers, who have revealed through their images this country's ambition and failings, beauty and degradation, politics and personal stories.

In this gallery you will find a variety of approaches to contemporary landscape photography. In the larger gallery, a chronological display takes us from the earliest images of dramatic wilderness through numerous shifts of style and context into the 21st century.

America in View was inspired by a generous gift of photographs to the RISD Museum from the collection of the late Joe Deal (RISD Provost 1999–2005; Professor of Photography, 2005-2009) and his widow, Betsy Ruppa, as well as gifts from friends and colleagues in Deal's honor.

America in View was inspired by a generous gift of photographs to the RISD Museum from the collection of the late Joe Deal (RISD Provost 1999–2005 and Photography Professor 2005–2009) and his wife Betsy Ruppa. In addition to selections from this gift, this exhibition includes photographs by many friends and colleagues given in honor of Deal’s retirement as well as other recent gifts, which contribute to the Museum’s new strength in American landscape photography.

The exhibition was organized by Jan Howard, the RISD Museum’s Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, in association with Deborah Bright, Professor of Photography and History of Art + Visual Culture at RISD, 1989–2012, and Douglas Nickel, Andrea V. Rosenthal Professor of Modern Art at Brown University, with the assistance of Scott Alario, MFA student in Photography at RISD, and Emily Handlin, PhD student in History of Photography at Brown.

Selected Objects

William Henry Jackson

Gardiners River Hot Springs, Diana's Baths, 1871

Danny Lyon

Truck in the Desert Near Yuma, Arizona, 1962

Laura Gilpin

Footprints in the Sand, ca. 1930s

Deborah Bright

Bloody Lane, The Battle of Antietam, 1983

Henry Hamilton Bennett

In and about the Dells of the Wisconsin River: To Circle Bend, from the Navy Yard, No. 451, ca.1890

Art Sinsabaugh

Chicago Landscape #24, 1964

Harry Callahan

Cape Cod, 1972

Possibly Julius T. Boysen

Untitled, ca. 1903

Ana Mendieta

Furrows, 1984

Gary Metz

Untitled, 1973

Lee Friedlander

Atlantic City, 1971

Timothy O'Sullivan

Water Rhyolites, Near Logan Springs, Nevada, 1871

Roger Minick

Untitled, 1977

American

Untitled (Rochester Falls), ca. 1900

Edward Sheriff Curtis

An Inland Waterway, 1914

Henry Hamilton Bennett

In and About the Dells of the Wisconsin River: Looking out of Boat Cave, No. 150, ca. 1890

William H. Bell

Perched Rock, Rocker Creek, Arizona, 1872

Leander Baker

View of Providence Storefronts, ca.1895

Stephen Shore

U.S. 10, Post Falls, Idaho, 1974

Barbara Crane

Cloudscape, 1969

Walker Evans

View of Easton, Pennsylvania, 1936

Carleton Watkins

Cape Horn, Columbia River, 1867

Aaron Siskind

Martha's Vineyard 114B, 1954

Denny Moers

Birds Over Riverbed, 1993

William Henry Jackson

Fountain Geyser Crater (Yellowstone National Park), 1871

Jack Welpott

White Sands, 1977

American

Untitled (Rochester Falls), ca. 1900

Mathew B. Brady

Flirtation Walk, ca. 1865

Frank Jay Haynes

Geyser Hill, Upper Basin, 1886

David T. Hanson

Coal strip mine, power plant and waste ponds, 1984

Ansel Adams

Half Dome, Blowing Snow, Yosemite National Park, California, ca. 1955

Garry Winogrand

Utah, 1964

Stephen Shore

Untitled, 1975

Seneca Ray Stoddard

The Adirondacks, Upper Au Sable Lake from Boreas Bay, 1887

Paul Strand

Truckman's House, New York, 1920

James Douglas Hope

Piuio Falls, Watkins Glen, New York, ca. 1875-1899

Garry Winogrand

Castle Rock, Colorado, 1960

Ansel Adams

Antelope House Ruin, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona, 1942

William Henry Jackson

Ogden Canon, Utah, 1872

Minor White

Driftwood and Eye, 1951

Clarence H. White

Morning, 1905

Edward Weston

Cliff with Seagull, Point Lobos, 1946

Unknown artist

The American Falls from the Steamer "Maid of the Mist," Niagara Falls, U.S.A., ca. 1903

Henry Hamilton Bennett

In and about the Dells of Wisconsin: Crooked Pillar near Sugar Bowl, No. 285, ca.1890

Jerry Uelsmann

Apocalypse II, 1967

William Henry Jackson

Pike's Peak from the Garden of the Gods, ca.1880

J.N. (Jerome Nelson) Wilson

Untitled (Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia), ca. 1880

Berenice Abbott

New York at Night, 1932

George N. Barnard

Nashville from the Capitol, 1864-1865

Russell Lee

Box Elder County, Utah, 1940

American

Untitled, ca. 1930

Arthur Rothstein

Father and Sons Walking in the Face of a Dust Storm, Cimarron County, Oklahoma, 1936

Uta Barth

Field #14, 1996

Philip Jameson

Beavertail, Jamestown, RI, 1999

Salvatore Mancini

Fisherville Mill, Grafton, Massachusetts, 1994

Joe Deal

Indio, California, 1978

Joe Deal

San Bernardino, California (I), 1978

Joe Deal

Fontana, California, 1978

Joe Deal

Newport Beach, California, 1979

Joe Deal

Near Beaumont, California, 1979

Joe Deal

Brea, California, 1979

Joe Deal

Baldwin Hills, California, 1979

Joe Deal

Glendale, California, 1979

Joe Deal

Hemet, California, 1979

Joe Deal

Soboba Hot Springs, California (I), 1979

Joe Deal

Santa Barbara, California, 1978

Joe Deal

Inglewood, California, 1979

Joe Deal

San Bernadino, California (II), 1978

Joe Deal

San Fernando, California, 1978

Joe Deal

Monrovia, California, 1979

Joe Deal

photograph, 1979

Joe Deal

Palm Springs, California, 1979

Joe Deal

Chatsworth, California, 1980

Joe Deal

Colton, California, 1978

Christopher Grant La Farge

Wesquage Beach Inlet, ca. 1900

Christopher Grant La Farge

Orchard, South County, ca. 1900

Christopher Grant La Farge

Fields, South County, ca. 1900

Christopher Grant La Farge

Bay at Sunset, ca. 1900

Christopher Grant La Farge

Untitled (Fall Landscape with Lake and Reeds), ca. 1900-1916

Joe Deal

Kite, Chino Hills, California,, 1984

Oliver Gagliani

Untitled, 1966

Frederick Sommer

Arizona Landscape, 1943

American

Providence Panorama from Grosvenor or Banigan Building, ca. 1903

Scott Lapham

Providence Cold Storage #1, Demolished 1999, 1999

John Dowell

Wacker Drive, 2005
No Image Available

Thomas Struth

Paradies, 2004

Thomas Struth

Juqueh, 2004

Thomas Struth

San Francisco de Xavier, 2004

Thomas Struth

Yakushima, 2004

Thomas Struth

Daintree, 2004

Thomas Struth

Xi Shuang Banna, 2004

Thomas Struth

Yosemite National Park, 2004

An-My Lê

29 Palms: Captain Folsom, 2003-2004

Ralston Crawford

High Tension Lines, ca. 1950

Laura McPhee

Judy Tracking Radio-Collared Wolves From Her Yard, Summer Range, H-Hook Ranch, Custer County, Idaho, 2004

Peter Feresten

E. Hattie Street, Fort Worth, TX, 1983

Emmet Gowin

Aeration Pond, Toxic Water Treatment Facility, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, 1989

Emmet Gowin

Erosion in a Dark Field, Pivot Agriculture Near the Grand Coulee Dam, Washington, 1991

Oliver Gagliani

Untitled, 1948

Oliver Gagliani

Untitled, 1962

Brett Weston

Untitled (Brooklyn Bridge with Automobiles, New York), ca. 1945-47

Brett Weston

Pond, 1950

Linda Connor

Stones, Kau Desert, Hawaii, 1991

Sage Sohier

British Red Coat Re-enactor, Battle of Concord and Lexington, Lexington, MA, 2002

Lee Friedlander

Mechanics' Monument, San Francisco, California, 1972

John Divola

Zuma #28, 1978

John Divola

Zuma #8, 1977

Arthur Wesley Dow

Untitled, 1906

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Chicago, 1952

Terry Evans

Terraced plowing with a grass waterway, 1991

Robbert Flick

S.V. 033/81, East of Lancaster, California, 1981

Millee Tibbs

Self-Portrait in the Fog, 2009

Neal Rantoul

Near Pullman, Washington, 2009, 2009

Mary Kocol

Unexpected Fireworks over Somerville, Massachusetts, 2006

Justin Kimball

Deep Hole, New Hampshire, 2002

Justin Kimball

Greenfield, Massachusetts, 1996

Laura McPhee

Smoke from a Wildfire Ignited by Sparks from a Burn Barrell, Champion Creek, Custer County, Idaho, 2005

Harold Jones

Storm, 1977

Harold Jones

Baptism, Sabino Canyon, 1978

Harold Jones

With Emmet, 1978

Harold Jones

Back Porch, 5:30 p.m., 1978

Steven B. Smith

Coolers, Ivins, Utah, 2007

Josephine Sittenfeld

Ethan, Puffer's Pond, 2010

Michael Cevoli

Cottage Street Mill with Houses, Franklin, MA 2008, 2008

American

Westminster Street, from Market Square, Providence, RI, 1874

Alfred Stieglitz

Ploughing, 1904

Thomas Barrow

f/t/s Cancellations - Horizon Rib, 1974

Thomas Barrow

f/t/s Cancellations (Brown) -- Field Star, 1975

Frank Gohlke

Edge of landslide - debris flow, below Coldwater Lake containment dam - 8 miles NW of Mt. St. Helens, Washington, 1981

Frank Gohlke

Aerial View: Fir and hardwood forest outside of blast zone - vicinity of Mt. St. Helens, Washington, 1981

Frank Gohlke

Near Crowley, Texas, 1978

Frank Gohlke

Salvaging dead timber on Spud Mountain - looking NE at Coldwater Lake from a point 7.5 miles NW of Mt. St. Helens, Washington, 1982

Frank Gohlke

Aerial View: Edge of eruption impact zone showing blown-down, standing dead and living trees. Salvage in progress. Approximately 14 miles NW of Mt. St. Helens, Washington, 1981

Anthony Hernandez

Angeles National Forest, 1987

Mark Klett

First Camp of the Season: June 29/30 1979, "Bread Loaf Rock" City of Rocks, Idaho, 1979

Oliver Gagliani

Untitled, 1958

Lewis Baltz

Reno - Sparks, Looking South, 1977

Lewis Baltz

Hidden Valley, Looking South, 1977

Lewis Baltz

Hidden Valley, Looking Southwest, 1977

Lewis Baltz

Fluorescent Tube, 1977

Lewis Baltz

US 50, East of Carson City, 1977

Lewis Baltz

New Construction, Shadow Mountain, 1977

Lewis Baltz

Night Construction, Reno, 1977

Lewis Baltz

Model Home, Shadow Mountain, 1977

Lewis Baltz

B Street, Sparks, 1977

Lewis Baltz

Mill Street, Reno, 1977

Lewis Baltz

Lemmon Valley, Looking North, 1977

Lewis Baltz

Lemmon Valley, Looking Northwest, 1977

Lewis Baltz

Lemmon Valley, Looking Northwest, Toward Stead, 1977

Lewis Baltz

Nevada 33, Looking West, 1977

Lewis Baltz

Mustang Bridge Exit, Interstate 80, 1977

John Pfahl

Red Setters in Red Field, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1976

Annie Langan

Growth, 2008

Willard Van Dyke

Death Valley Dunes, 1930

Eleanor Antin

100 Boots Taking the Hill (1), Lomas Santa Fe, California, June 13, 1972, 1972

Eleanor Antin

100 Boots Taking the Hill (2), Lomas Santa Fe, California, June 13, 1972, 1972

Eleanor Antin

100 Boots Taking the Hill (3), Lomas Santa Fe, California, June 13, 1972, 1972

Eleanor Antin

100 Boots Taking the Hill (4), Lomas Santa Fe, California, June 13, 1972, 1972

More objects +

Exhibition Checklist

America in View : Landscape Photography 1865 to Now

September 21, 2012 - January 13, 2013
View Checklist PDF

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