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Structured Documentaries

My photographic practice is essentially documentary: straightforward, unmanipulated photographs of things extant in the world. Over a fifty-year career, I have amassed a substatial archive of such photographs and I believe that they have inherent value as a wide-ranging record of many aspects of global material culture. But it is my artistic practice to present these photographs in gallery settings using formal strategies other than sets of singular images. Among these strategies have been image pairing and assembly, image-text pairing, and manipulation of scale. Many of my works created using these strategies are included in the other sections of my "Gallery Works" master page. Works using a variety of other formal strategies such as tight sequencing and conceptual frameworks are included in this section and are described below.

Click on an image to see the project.

Cadillac Ranch (1974)

I photographed this iconic public artwork in August 1974, just after Ant Farm had created it for Stanley Marsh 3, so it was in pristine condition. I made a series of images that suggest stills from a short movie.

 

NYC CCF CETA Artists Project (1978-79)

I was part of the documentation unit for the largest federally funded artist employment project in the U.S. since the WPA of the 1930s. I travelled all over NYC documenting artists in their studios, public performances, events and exhibitions and worker demonstrations.

Detroit Triptych (1981-83)

During a two-year stint in Detroit, I made three documentary series each of which examined a different aspect of the city, using distinct formal strategies.

 

Philadelphia Two-Level City (1986-88)

After moving to Philadelphia one of its most intriguing features was the two-level road structure created during the 1930s for the area surrounding the Pennsylvania train station.

 

The Disappearance of Italy (1989-present)

I have been photographing extensively in Italy since 1989 with a particular focus on material culture and major social-cultural changes. Sicily and Rome have been my primary concentrations but I've travelled extensively throughout the country.

 

Urban Crime Scenes (2015-present)

My involvement with neighborhood historic preservation and anti-gentrification strategies has informed this series that documents rampant destructive and invasive development.

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