American photography at the Albertina
Stephen Shore - West Ninth Avenue Amarillo Texas
From 24 August to 28 November 2021, the Albertina Museum in Vienna is presenting an exhibition dedicated to American photography after the Second World War.
Source: Albertina, Vienna. Image: Stephen Shore, West 9th Avenue, Amarillo, Texas, October 2, 1974”. Image © Stephen Shore, ARS New York.
After the Second World War, American iconography underwent a major renewal. As the Albertina points out, idealised landscapes, common in late 19th and early 20th century photography, were replaced by everyday motifs previously considered unworthy of being shown in a photograph. Motorway motels, industrial or abandoned buildings, counterculture characters... all in a spontaneous style that sought to reflect the reality of contemporary America, always changing, always on the move.
Several of the leading names in 20th century American photography are included in the exhibition, such as Ansel Adams, Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon and Cindy Sherman. Joel Meyerowitz's "Red Interior, Provincetown" shows the simple, almost ephemeral architecture of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, in a composition in which vehicles, the great protagonists of late 20th century America, become important. Stephen Shore's "West 9th Avenue, Amarillo, Texas, October 2, 1974" shows the melancholy character of an abandoned commercial building, reflection on the rapid decay that a non-place often undergoes.
Some urban photographs reflect the dynamic character of large American metropolises, such as Lee Friedlander's "New York City" and Garry Winogrand's "Beverly Hills, California".

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