It would take almost two days of non-stop driving to travel from Florida to California. There are nearly three thousand miles, and a three-hour time difference, between the two destinations. Both states lie on the 33rd parallel, a circle of latitude that is approximately midway between the equator and the Arctic Circle. In the USA, it encompasses 10 of the country’s southern states.
Harn Museum of Art invites visitors to ride this invisible line through some of the country’s most scenic and dramatic topographies. The exhibition features work from seven photographers whose images span from 1961 to the present- day. Some images are grouped according to their location, providing a contrasting view of a single state, such as Texas’ dry panhandle versus its hurricane-soaked Gulf Coast, whilst others showcase shared experiences that stretch across the entire country, such as the NASA spectators in Florida and California.
Frank Hallam Day’s RV Night (2012) portrays various caravans nestled within the unknowable Florida wilderness. The images were shot at night, tiny windows of light illuminating an otherwise dark scene. In an interview with Slate, the artist described the series as “exploring the conundrum of modern man and the alienation from the natural world.” Elsewhere, Don Norris’ black- and-white landscapes examine how buildings can be both commonplace, and completely distinctive to their town or city. Featured photographer Mark Klett perfectly describes the show as an indisputable record of “what we have collectively made of this nation we inhabit and by implication who we have become.”
Riding the 33rd Parallel | Harn Museum of Art, Gainesville | Until 25 May
Image credit: Frank Hallam Day, White RV Four Pines, c. 2012, Archival inkjet print, Courtesy of the artist and Addison/Ripley Fine Art, 2024.6.1, Harn Museum of Art Collection.
