Stephen Shore (b. 1947) is one of the most influential photographers in modern history. The artist was fascinated with pictures from a young age 鈥 developing his parents鈥 negatives from six years old. He was given a camera aged nine, and at 14 his work was presented to Edward Steichen, Director of the Department of Photography at MOMA, New York. His oeuvre represents a point of transformation in American visual culture. Focus shifted from structured monochromatic prints to colourful, abstracted images 鈥 referencing an amalgamation of aesthetic and thematic concerns.聽As Quentin Bajac,聽one of MoMA’s Photography Curators, states: 鈥淗e never tries to stick to one style鈥 Shore is not all nostalgic.鈥 ().
Pioneering shots accentuate symbols of sublimity found in ordinary, otherwise mundane scenes. Series聽American Surfaces聽(1972-73) is featured in聽Aesthetica Issue 61. A woman stands in an aqua pool. Cars are found besides unlit motel lights. Peach sunrays illuminate suburban streets. The collections cement the artist鈥檚 aim to document life whilst alluding to an awareness of what is beyond the frame.聽
More recently,聽we foregrounded a new publication from聽 鈥 presenting miniature camera works.聽罢谤补苍蝉辫补谤别苍肠颈别蝉听offers a new angle on Shore鈥檚 distinctive portfolio. Bright pictures filled with wandering figures and neon signs tell the tale of 1970s America. The series, taken on a 35mm Leica, informed the revolutionary series聽Uncommon Places聽(1973- early 1980s)鈥 acting as a visual playground for the artist to try out different angles and framing whilst pinpointing thematic concerns.
Fast forward to the present moment and this small format is mirrored by Shore鈥檚 new experimentations on Instagram. In an age where we constantly scroll through newsfeeds, the artist鈥檚 posts zoom in on single subjects or objects 鈥 inviting viewers to pause and reassess the purpose of imagery with fresh eyes.聽Britt Salvesen, Curator at LACMA, explains the connections across Shore鈥檚 new works: 鈥淒espite the time markers of cars and clothing, nostalgia is held at bay by Shore鈥檚 presence, precision, and alertness. These pictures from the 1970s do not seem fixed in the past, distant, distilled, or quaint. They exist in the complex, culturally layered present. Meaning occurs in the moment. We speak this language; we live in this world.鈥澛犅犅犅
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Credits:
1. Stephen Shore, Ginger Shore, Causeway Inn, Tampa, Florida 17 5. November 1977.
2. Stephen Shore. Images from聽Transparencies: Small Camera Works
3. 1971鈥1979聽(MACK, 2020). Courtesy of the artist and MACK.
4. Stephen Shore,聽Amarillo, Texas, August 1973.
5. Stephen Shore, West Ninth Avenue, Amarillo, Texas 2 October 1974.
