Amy Stein, Howl

Mark Klett, Rephotographic Survey Project

There is a fantastic exhibit happening at the Nevada Museum of Art right now. Normally when you hear about a permanent collection show at a museum yawning ensues – not true with this one! This is an impressive body of work and it is incredible that it is right here in Reno. They have other permanent collections, but this one in particular is highly linked to the identity of the museum. The Altered Landscape Photography Collection is one of the institution’s largest focused collecting areas. It has approximately 2,000 photographs. In these images, artists reveal the ways that individuals and industries have marked, mined, toured, tested, developed, occupied, and exploited landscapes over the last fifty years. 

The photographs are hung in salon-style, which is very popular these days but easy to forget it has been around for hundreds of years. The term derives from the regular exhibition of the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, which began in 1667 in Paris. It showed the artwork of students of the Academy, so in order to fit everything in, the paintings were hung as close as possible from floor to ceiling. A simple solution to a problem that has stuck around. The closeness of the artworks helps the eye to define the similarities and differences of each piece. I think these types of hangings look best when there are a variety of objects and colors. They chose to display this particular exhibit in this style to encourage conversation and dialogue.

Edward Burtynsky, Recycling #2

Terry Falke, Mitchell Butte, Utah / Arizona Border

Grab a friend and go check it out! You can see this exhibit now through July 5th at the Nevada Museum of Art.

Did you already check it out? Let me know what you thought about it!

{images from here}