Leaf Pattern
Artist
Imogen Cunningham
(American, 1883 - 1976)
Date1929 (printed early 1970s)
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsImage: 11 7/8 × 8 7/8 in. (30.2 × 22.5 cm)
Support: 20 × 14 7/8 in. (50.8 × 37.8 cm)
Mat: 24 × 20 in. (61 × 50.8 cm)
Support: 20 × 14 7/8 in. (50.8 × 37.8 cm)
Mat: 24 × 20 in. (61 × 50.8 cm)
ClassificationsPhotograph
Credit LineGift of anonymous donor, 2013
Object number2013.40.3
DescriptionVertical composition filled with jagged edges of leaf, creating figure/ground confusion.eMuseum Notes
As the mother of three young boys, Imogen Cunningham’s photographs from the 1920s were often taken in the family’s backyard or close to home. Many of these botanical subjects were quite abstract, such as this visually confounding study of leaves. The piece coincides with her shift toward sharply focused images composed in the camera and contact printed (print is the same size as the negative), rather than being enlarged and manipulated in the darkroom. Based on this approach to picture-making, she and a small band of northern California photographers founded Group f/64 in Oakland, to promote their philosophy and their work.
On View
Not on viewTerms
- landscapes (representations)
- leaf (plant material)
- patterns (design elements)
- Abstract
