Clark Art Presents Exhibition on Photographer Bernice Abbott
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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Clark Art Institute marks the 100-year anniversary of Berenice Abbott's first photographs with an exhibition examining the relationship between her portraits of people and her "portraits" of places.
According to a press release:
Berenice Abbott (American, 1898–1991) was one of the most important American photographers of the twentieth century, known for her pioneering documentary style, unpretentious compositions, and technical innovations. A woman photographer working in the relatively early days of the medium, Abbott demonstrated that women could hold a prominent place in cutting-edge artistic communities. Berenice Abbott's Modern Lens is on view July 12 through October 5, 2025 in the Eugene V. Thaw Gallery for Works on Paper, located in the Clark's Manton Research Center.
The exhibition begins with Abbott's earliest portrait photography, taken in 1920s Paris while she worked as an assistant in the legendary photographer Man Ray's studio. Writers, musicians, artists, publishers, and socialites—many of whom lived visibly queer lives, like Abbott herself—all found themselves looking through her discerning lens as she captured a sense of the rapidly changing social landscape. The exhibition also highlights Abbott's pivot from photographing people to photographing architectural and urban subjects. Her celebrated images of New York City, taken after returning from Paris in 1929, document the fleeting essence of urbanism in flux. Much less well-known are Abbott's photographs of tidy row houses in Albany and proud old mansions in the suburbs of Boston. Viewed alongside her Parisian portraits, Abbott's skill in capturing the authentic character of these places is apparent. While these photographs are small in scale, they represent Abbott's expansive perspective and extraordinary talent.
"Berenice Abbott had a distinctive eye and a rare ability to capture the essence of a person or a place through her photographs," said Olivier Meslay, Hardymon Director of the Clark. "We trust that our visitors this summer will be drawn to carefully studying Abbott's work, which bristles with the lively energy and vibrant culture of her time. The Clark was so fortunate to receive a large gift of Abbott's photographs in 2007 through the generosity of the A&M Penn Photography Foundation thanks to Arthur Stephen Penn and Paul Katz and are delighted to be showing many of these remarkable images here."
"Beyond the obvious goal of celebrating the work of a skilled photographer, I have two hopes for this exhibition," said exhibition curator Grace Hanselman, curatorial assistant for works on paper. "The first is that it will demonstrate that queer people have long been powerful forces for cultural innovation, enrichment, and progress. The second is that it will encourage visitors to view their own surroundings with fresh eyes—to appreciate the beauty, both humble and spectacular, in the built and natural environment, and even in other people. Berenice Abbott knew how to do that very well."
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