Henry Wessel (American, 1942-2018) Albuquerque, New Mexico

Description:

Henry Wessel (American, 1942-2018)

Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1968. Unsigned. Gelatin silver print, image size 5 13/16 x 8 13/16 in. (14.8 x 22.3 cm),mounted, unframed.
Condition: Silver mirroring in shadows, minor loss to u.l. corner, mat burn, adhesive residue on mount, pencil annotations l.l.

Provenance: A private Maine collection.

N.B. Henry Wessel's black-and-white photographs transform the ordinary and often overlooked into poetic depictions of the American West. Wessel's first major solo exhibition was in 1972 at the Museum of Modern Art and featured his social landscape photographs of the American West. Shortly thereafter, his work was included at the George Eastman House in the seminal exhibition New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-Altered Landscape along with photographers Robert Adams, Bernd and Hilla Becher, and Stephen Shore. This exhibition promoted a generation of artists that challenged the traditional notion of landscape photography away from romantic and transcendental views, towards a straightforward documentation of the built environment. Over the course of his career, Wessel has captured vernacular scenes in a snapshot aesthetic that combine spontaneity with an ability to capture the in between moments of life.
Estimate $1,500-2,000

Mount size 12 1/16 x 14 3/8 in. (30.7 x 36 cm.).


Items may have wear and tear, imperfections, or the effects of aging. Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Skinner shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.

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