The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 29, 2024

France

France

1989
(American, 1931–2014)
Image: 34.5 x 34.1 cm (13 9/16 x 13 7/16 in.); Paper: 50.7 x 40.4 cm (19 15/16 x 15 7/8 in.); Matted: 61 x 50.8 cm (24 x 20 in.)
© Ray K. Metzker, Courtesy Laurence Miller Gallery, New York
Location: not on view

Description

In 1985 Metzker began to concentrate on the natural landscape, a new subject for him, commencing a dramatic break from his previous dark and primarily urban work. A distinctive feature of this light-filled close-up photograph is his deliberate positioning of the camera so that the nearest elements are rendered out of focus, blurring spatial distinctions while increasing the photograph’s overall sensation of ambiguity. Additionally, Metzker avoided the hierarchy of a typical landscape, with its clearly established center of interest. Instead, the image is bombarded by an abundance of fluid, visual elements throughout the composition, all demanding equal and simultaneous attention.
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, Tom E Hinson. Catalogue of Photography. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1996. Reproduced: P. 236
  • Contemporary Landscape Photography. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 26-August 14, 2011).
    Legacy of Light: Seven Masters in Depth. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 20-February 2, 1996).
    Signs of Affection: Gifts Honoring the Museum's 75th Anniversary. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 27, 1992-January 3, 1993).
  • {{cite web|title=France|url=false|author=Ray K. Metzker|year=1989|access-date=29 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1991.213