The first major survey of American photography in the Netherlands has arrived at Rijksmuseum. The gallery presents more than 200 works, reflecting the rich and multifaceted history of lens-based art in the USA. The exhibition showcases the country as seen through the eyes of American photographers and shows how the medium has permeated every aspect of modern life, through art, news and advertising. Visitors can expect a combination of icons such as Diane Arbus, Nan Goldin, Richard Avedon, Robert Frank and Sally Mann, as well as lesser-known gems, that add a rich new layer to the canon. Aesthetica spoke to Hans Rooseboom, Curator of Photography at Rijksmuseum, about how the show came about and what he hopes European audiences will take away from viewing the works.
A: The Rijksmuseum’s American Photography exhibition is the first major survey of US photography in Europe. Why did now feel like the right time for this show?
HR: A large-scale exhibition takes many years to prepare – in this case, since 2017. We had not planned for the opening to coincide more or less with the inauguration of President Trump, an event that captivated the entire world. Since 1945, the USA has been a major player in art, economics, entertainment, military, politics, sport and technology. It has been no different in photography. The sheer size of the USA’s economy and population made photography a major field of activity. Throughout its history, the camera has played an important role in the news cycle, allowing people to find out from papers and magazines what is happening around the world.
A: The exhibition spans such a massive amount of time, over 150 years from the 19th century to contemporary work. How did you approach the selection of images and artists to ensure a comprehensive yet cohesive narrative?
HR: When we started thinking about the exhibition we knew we would be visiting many museums, libraries and archives looking for interesting photographs. We realized we would have to limit our quest by establishing eight themes, as this was the number of rooms we had in the exhibition wing. Otherwise, it would be impossible to make decisions. The topics we came up with – from portraits and landscapes to advertising and the private use of photographs – gives the exhibition cohesiveness. Within every room, we wanted items that would be surprisingly good, however unknown they might be. The same applies for what the museum has collected ourselves since 2007, when we started focusing our acquisition policy on the USA. It was never the ambition to give a complete overview; that would have an insane, impossible and unrewarding experiment.
A: There have been so many shifts in style and subject matter as society has changed. How do you see the evolution of American photography reflected through the works?
HR: We think there is no such thing as “typical American photography,” the country is simply too big for that. A selection of some 200 works can never cover every field or development. We can only point to some important moments or issues. In some cases, one photograph will have to “carry” the message and stand for certain developments. By choosing visually strong images and objects, we believe they can fulfil that task. We have tried to do justice to as many important changes as we could reasonably include in an exhibition without exhausting the visitor.
A: The Rijksmuseum is known for its strong tradition of collecting and exhibiting Dutch and European art. How does this exhibition fit within that focus?
HR: The Rijksmuseum is a museum for art and history; that is one of its official mission statements. In photography, the two perfectly blend. We began acquiring lens-based art late, starting only in 1994, when other institutions had already built their collections, both in the Netherlands and elsewhere. There was, however, a big gap: non-Dutch photography. This led to our international outlook and ambition. We knew we would never catch up with, say, MoMA, Centre Pompidou, the Met, and many others in terms of highlights like Robert Frank, Diane Arbus and Walker Evans. Instead, we have been collecting sensationally good unknown imagery from overlooked areas, such early advertising and magazines, in order to find a place for ourselves in a big, varied and highly competitive field.
A: What do you hope audiences will take away from visiting?
HR: They will probably know some names and images without having seen them with their own eyes. We want to show there is much more than the known masterpieces. There is still a lot to be (re)discovered in photography – which is fun and adventurous. The “story of photography” is still not told in all its aspects – and we would like to contribute a little to that never ending story. We sense there is a lot of interest from American colleagues to see what choices we made, what light we shed on their country. Being an outsider looking in, can have its benefits. We would be very happy if visitors leave the exhibition with the feeling that they have seen something new and rich.
A: Do you have a personal favourite photography from the exhibition?
HR: I am personally very fond of a little booklet from 1905, Chicago to Lake Geneva, Lake Geneva to Delavan, Delavan to Beloit. It was published when there were hardly any paved roads between places. Traveling from one place to the other was therefore quite a thing. An automobile agent in Chicago came up with the idea of producing handy little guides with a photograph of every crossroads or exit. Arrows and concise captions pointed the way. Between 1905 and 1910, almost 30 different examples were published. I had seen many of them in a Chicago library and one in the New York Public Library, but they are – understandably – quite rare now. I was happy to find one with an American bookdealer. It is touching in its simplicity, in its functional clarity and beauty; just imagine yourself driving a car and your companion telling you where to go!
American Photography is at Rijksmuseum from 7 February – 9 June: rijksmuseum.nl
Words: Emma Jacob & Hans Rooseboom
Image Credits:
Ming Smith (1951) America Seen Through Stars and Stripes, New York City, 1976 Gelatin silver print, 318 x 470 mm.
Amanda López (1982) Homegirls, San Francisco, 2008 Inkjet print, 320 x 435 mm National Museum for American History, Washington (DC)© Amanda López.
Irene Poon Virginia, 1965 Gelatin silver print, 18.7 x 19 cm San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Gift of Charles Wong © Irene Poon Photography Archive, Department of Special Collections,Stanford University Libraries.
Bryan Schutmaat (1983) Tonopah, Nevada, 2012 Inkjet print, 1017 x 1277 mm (printed 2021) Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, inv.no. RP-F-2021-11; purchased with the support of Baker McKenzie.
