Americana in focus: The subtle genius of Joel Sternfeld
- Text by Paden Vaughan
- Photography by Joel Sternfeld
We all have an image of America in our heads; whether it’s one of excessive consumption or a vast untamed wilderness, there are as many sides to the United States as there are people inhabiting its lands. At this particularly divisive time, we lament upon the land of the free and what it means to be an American in the modern era. Looking past Hollywood and the idyllic image that is exported to us, we can see the real side of the U.S., one that forgoes the glitz in favour of guts.
Kansas City, Kansas, May 1983 © Joel Sternfeld courtesy Luhring Augustine Gallery and Beetles + Huxley Gallery
Wet ‘n Wild Aquatic Theme Park, Orlando, Florida, September 1980 © Joel Sternfeld courtesy
Luhring Augustine Gallery and Beetles + Huxley Gallery
This exploration into the ‘real’ America is the subject of veteran photographer Joel Sternfeld’s first solo UK exhibition in 15 years, Colour Photographs 1977-1988, set to be displayed at Beetles + Huxley in London this month.
With 30 vintage dye transfer and chromogenic prints, the free exhibition pulls work from Sternfeld’s extensive portfolio, focusing on images from one of his most famous works American Prospects, first displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, before being published under the same name back in 1987.
Agoura, California, February 1988 © Joel Sternfeld courtesy Luhring Augustine Gallery and Beetles + Huxley Gallery
Grafton, West Virginia, February, 1983 © Joel Sternfeld courtesy Luhring Augustine Gallery and Beetles + Huxley Gallery
The exhibition’s 30 prints, including some previously unseen ones, were taken during Sternfeld’s 11 years of travelling through the country with an 8 x 10 inch camera, highlighting the intriguing character of the U.S. and the people that call it home.
USS Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, September 1980 © Joel Sternfeld courtesy Luhring Augustine Gallery and Beetles + Huxley Gallery
Red Rock State Campground (Boy), Gallup, New Mexico, September 1982 © Joel Sternfeld courtesy Luhring Augustine Gallery and Beetles + Huxley Gallery
Highly regarded as one of the most influential pieces of American photography from this period, American Prospects looks at the land of the free with a subtle and ironic sense of humour, shining a unique light onto the socio-economic challenges faced in many of the country’s less prosperous regions.
Rustic Canyon, Santa Monica, California, May 1979 © Joel Sternfeld courtesy Luhring Augustine Gallery and Beetles + Huxley Gallery
Ketchum, Idaho, October 1980 © Joel Sternfeld courtesy Luhring Augustine Gallery and Beetles + Huxley Gallery
You can see Sternfeld’s ironic prepositions seep through in McLean, Virginia, December 1978, which shows a firefighter buying pumpkins while a house burns in the background. Although it looks bad, this was in fact a training exercise, and is a great example of Sternfeld’s exploration into the debate of photographic truth.
Exhausted Renegade Elephant, Woodland, Washington, June 1979 © Joel Sternfeld courtesy
Luhring Augustine Gallery and Beetles + Huxley Gallery
In these unstable and problematic times for the United States, Sternfeld’s photography helps us to gauge some of the historical factors that continue to influence the country today, with a stark honesty that is seldom found when we think about the home of the brave.
Joel Sternfeld: Colour Photographs 1977 – 1988 is open at Beetles + Huxley from 26 January to 18 February 2016.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
Louis Theroux’s ‘Manosphere’ shows men aren’t the problem, platforms are
No Ws for Good Men — The journalist’s new documentary sees him dive headfirst into the toxicities and machinations of the male influencer economy. But when young creators are monetarily incentivised to make more and more outrageous content, who really is to blame?
Written by: Emma Garland
In the 1960s, African photographers recaptured their own image
Ideas of Africa — An exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art explores the 20th century’s most important lensers, including Seydou Keïta, Malick Sidibé and Kwame Brathwaite, and their impact on challenging dominant European narratives.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Reynaldo Rivera’s intimate portrait of queer Latino love
Propiedad Privada — Growing up during the AIDS pandemic, the photographer entered a world where his love was not only taboo, but dangerous. His new monograph presents inward-looking shots made over four decades, which reclaim the power of desire.
Written by: Miss Rosen
In photos: The newsagents keeping print alive
Save the stands — With Huck 83 hitting shelves around the world, we met a few people who continue to stock print magazines, defying an enduringly tough climate for physical media and the high street.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Inside Bombay Beach, California’s ‘Rotting Riviera’
Man-made decay — The Salton Sea was created by accident after a failed attempt to divert the Colorado River in the early 20th century. Jack Burke reports from its post-apocalyptic shores, where DIY art and ecological collapse meet.
Written by: Jack Burke
The quiet, introspective delight of Finland’s car cruising scene
Pilluralli — In the country’s small towns and rural areas, young people meet up to drive and hang out with their friends. Jussi Puikkonen spent five years photographing its idiosyncratic pace.
Written by: Josh Jones
