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George Eastman House Photography Exhibition on Trains
7th Oct 2008
The George Eastman House International Museum of Photography & Film in Rochester New York USA is presenting a series of three photography exhibitions titled “TRAINS!” from Oct. 11 to Jan. 25, 2009. These exhibitons which span over three centuries of train photography, are based on the work of the master O. Winston Link, with other workds being provided by the Eastman House collections with contemporary videos from a British artist, Andrew Cross.
“These exhibitions consider the roles of the railroad in photographs. It appears as technological triumph, violator of nature, symbol, myth and nostalgic evocation of a better, nobler past,” said Dr. Alison Nordström, the creator of Eastman House. “Even if you have never ridden a train, you know about trains. We invite you to build on this knowledge as you experience these pictures. In addition, we ask you to remember that the train has long been an object of wonder and delight and to bring that sensibility to these pictures.”
This “TRAINS!” exhibitions explores the power of images of the past and the present, drawing, not only on the remarkable collections held by Eastman House, but on the photos that other museums hold together with work by contemporary artists.
The three exhibitions of “TRAINS!”
Exhibition One: Steam and Steel: The Photography of O. Winston Link
This exhibition includes much of the best-known work by the master O. Winston Link, including his famous series of dramatic night photographs of America’s last steam locomotives takenin the late 1950s.
Exhibition Two: Tracks: The Railroad in Photographs from the George Eastman House
Thisis a survey of railroad images from around the world, overall covering more than 160 years of photographic history including works by Lewis W. Hine, Aaron Siskind, William Henry Jackson, and Alvin Langdon Coburn.
Exhibition Three: Passing Time: Video by Andrew Cross
A train spotter since childhood, the British artist Andrew Cross creates films which slow our everyday view of high-speed train travel to a special game of suspense and anticipation. These experimental videos focus on the U.S. rail network and while appearing as stationary photographs at first, soon the eye begins to notice subtle changes, and when the action occurs it is really unexpected!
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