What is a New Topographic?
Image from the Hautlieu creative blog
”New Topographics: photographs of man altered landscape” this was an exhibition of contemporary landscape photography held at George Eastman House’s international museum of photography ( October 1975 – February 1976 ) the show was made by William Jenkins which had a lasting effects on aesthetic and conceptual approaches to landscape photography.
This images documentaries built landscape and the natural landscape in America often showing tension between natural scenery compared to the structures of post-war America. The photos often had a documentary feel to them and are devoid of human presence, which give the image a whole new feel of emotion.
Examples of New Topographics
Images from google.
this images help to also see the vision of the “ growing unease about how the natural landscape is ruined by industrial development – This could link to the romanticism movement.
Have a look at this link or my previous post about romanticism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanticism
Historical context:
Post-war America struggled with economy and the great rise in inflation. As well as after the war ended all the veterans returned home and to make up for lost time got married and started families. However due to the war there were a lot of mental and physical health problems and issues with pharmaceuticals.
Lewis Baltz
An American visual artist and photographer. Was best known for his monochrome images of suburban landscapes and industrial parks which commented on the American dream.
Lewis Baltz was born September 12, 1945 in California. Baltz work focused on trying to find the beauty in the destruction to the natural environment, His pictures can be seen as a reflection show the control and power over human beings. More specifically his work and exhibitions of his ” topographic” work such as “The New Industrial Parks” show the crisis of technology on humans as well as his work titled “Candlestick Point” consisted of 84 photographs which showed a public space taken over by humans leaving things such as debris and litter next to a national park.
During 1980s Baltz moved himself and his work to Europe and this is when his work started to change and turn into large colour prints. In 2002 Baltz became a professor in the European Graduate school in Saas-Fee Switzerland and lived his last years through Paris and Venice but passed in 2014 following illness.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Baltz
Baltz analysis
Stephen Shore
Stephan Shore is an American photographer who is known for his images of scenes and objects of banal and is colour photography work.
in 1971 Stephan Shore was the first living photographer to be exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Stephen Shore analysis
Stephen Shore, Beverly Boulevard and La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, California, June 21, 1975, chromogenic colour print