Photography in post-war America聽often聽blurred the line between聽photographic聽documentation and聽social聽critique.聽In iconic images by Richard Avedon, Robert Frank, Irving Penn, Gordon Parks, and Peter聽Hujar, portraits of political leaders,聽civil rights activists,聽dancers,聽and聽artists聽are intermingled with聽images of聽ordinary聽people, capturing the energy and character of 20th century America.聽Samanthe Rubell, Senior Director, Pace Gallery is responsible for the gallery鈥檚 online sales initiatives. She discusses a new online show, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.
A: How do you see the future of virtual exhibitions? Is this something that Pace is looking at keeping once the art world opens back up?
厂搁:听We firmly believe that the experience of seeing art in person is irreplaceable. The physicality of an artwork and the immersion into an exhibition space will never go away. But digital exhibitions are not opposed to physical presentation; they work together to complement real-life exhibitions.
In programming online exhibitions, we have become aware of the platform’s potential to offer our audience strong, accessible and rich narratives devised by our curators and dealers. Online exhibitions allow fantastic creative possibilities which can sometimes prove too cumbersome to achieve with gallery spaces. With a new level of accessibility and convenience for the viewer, artist鈥檚 inspirations, techniques, and other cultural references can be explained and discussed more thoroughly. That鈥檚 one of the most significant aspects of digital presentations.聽Diamonds at the Soles of Her Shoes,聽for example, is supported by thoughtful interpretative materials, both scholarly and ludic, conceived by Pace鈥檚 curatorial team, including texts, audio, and comparative visual materials from the gallery鈥檚 vast digital archives and further afield. We will continue to explore virtual exhibitions and walkthroughs with artists after the lockdown.
A: What other digital initiatives are Pace working on?
厂搁:听We鈥檝e recently started organising virtual walkthroughs and studio tours with artists, curators and cultural figures. These digital events provide great insights for all to enjoy. Attendance to these virtual events has been very high which pleases us greatly. We love that we can continue to share and engage in this remote time. In a way it has brought us closer.聽Some of our artists obviously explore themes related to the digital and possibilities offered by technology: Trevor Paglen whose upcoming exhibition at Pace in London next September is exciting, John Gerrard who recently discussed his work with Jasper Sharp, Curator for Modern and Contemporary Art at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna on our Instagram Live, and Leo Villareal whose complex, rhythmic compositions in light push the boundaries of new technology.
Obviously, Instagram has become one of the most important channels and our regular artists conversation programme is very popular. I really enjoyed the first episode of our Instagram Live conversation series, where artist Torkwase Dyson spoke with curator Hans Ulrich Obrist. The advice to young artists that Torkwase gave at the end of the virtual discussion was really inspiring.The behind-the-scenes and access to artists in a more open and candid way has led to very interesting conclusions.聽
As the first major contemporary gallery to open in Silicon Valley, we聽have been experimenting with digital tools to aid exhibition interpretation for a while. For example, last year we launched an augmented reality app on the occasion of our Picasso survey show staged in Palo Alto, which was again intended to provide context to the masterpieces on view and as a tool to educate audiences.聽
A: In a landscape where galleries are moving to online shows, and the public鈥檚 attention is key, what does it offer in terms of cultural respite and inspiration?
厂搁:听At Pace we recognise our responsibility for societal good. I believe that artists are interpreters for what is happening in the world. The moments of poetry and reflection they offer, can help the healing process. The crisis has shown the increasing appetite for access to artists through digital platforms. In moments of doubts and uncertainty we look to artists to help navigate us towards more thoughtful understanding and reflection. The public鈥檚 attention remains high now and as a gallery, it is our duty to convey these messages and give artists the platforms they deserve.
A: Why is this show (Diamonds) particularly important at this time?
厂搁:听The exhibition is important because the works on view reveal fundamental truths around themes of resilience, empathy, and unity that have defined American society in its most difficult moments. We selected early photos of the mundane by Irving Penn and Harry Callahan for example. They depict situations from the artists鈥 daily walks through the cities where they lived, and, in the case of Callahan, the intimate spaces of daily life at home. The parallels with our current time are apparent and I found these elements particularly striking. The exhibition reveals the power of images at a time when we can pause and look again. Photography is inextricably shaped by its ability to pause, and the works on view distort our sense of time. It鈥檚 very similar to the daily routine we鈥檙e in right now.
A: 2020 has been an extraordinary year so far, with many comparing lockdown to WWII. Given that this show examines the post-war American landscape, what lessons can it teach us as we begin to integrate back into society?
厂搁:听These photographs dive into the social landscape to expose the humanity and bravery of heroes and strangers alike. The famous portraits by Richard Avedon, Gordon Parks, and Peter Hujar for example, of friends, political leaders and artists are juxtaposed with images of ordinary people. These iconic photographs capture the energy and character of the most turbulent decades of 20thcentury America.
A: The show brings together 20 works from a number of well-known photographers. How do they speak to one another or reveal parts of history that have perhaps been overlooked?
厂搁:听Paul Simon鈥檚 song聽Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoesprovided inspiration for the title of this exhibition. Persistence and tenacity are values we need to hold on to, and this song incarnates the veracity of American people, their fights, and their resilience. These works harmoniously dialogue with one another to provide an accurate and poetic interpretation of American society. The network of influences between these artists is also interesting to me. The impact of Robert Frank鈥檚 legacy is obvious in the work of Paul Graham for example, whose American Night continues this direct dialogue with the surroundings of daily life in an extension of Frank鈥檚 America. Brought together these twenty iconic photographs oscillate between serious issues of power, race and fracture, and the lightness of the everyday.
A: What are some of the show鈥檚 key pieces?
厂搁:听It鈥檚 hard to choose but my preferences go to Christenberry鈥檚 Green Warehouse, Newbern, Alabama (1978). The artist photographed this house every year for twenty-two consecutive years. This laborious process intensifies ideas of resilience found in American鈥檚 spirit throughout history. I also love Richard Avedon鈥檚 portrait of Chet Baker, taken just two years before his death. This work is contextualised, in the exhibition, by a poignant video of the singer performing聽Alone Together. Lastly the three landscape photographs by Richard Learoyd, Big Sur I, 2018, William Eggleston, Yellow Flowers, Hillside, California, 1978 and Trevor Paglen, The Glen Canyon, Deep Semantic Image Segments, 2020 evoke moments of serenity, infinity and calm we all desperately need right now.聽
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes is available to view at Pace Online. For more information,
Credits:
1.听Gordon Parks,聽Eldridge Cleaver and His Wife,聽Kathleen, Algiers, Algeria, 1970聽archival pigment print.聽漏 The Gordon聽Parks聽Foundation
2.听Gordon Parks,聽Untitled, Miami, Florida, 1966,聽gelatin silver print.漏 The Gordon聽Parks聽Foundation.
3.听Peter Hujar,聽Queen with Fur Stole,聽Halloween, 1979,聽vintage gelatin silver print.聽漏 The Peter聽Hujar Archive.
4.听Robert Frank, Indianapolis, 1956 gelatin silver print. Image, 8 5/8 x 13 inches paper, 11 x 14 inches frame, 16.聽1/2 x 20 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches 漏 Andrea Frank Foundation,聽from The American.
