Jim Dow’s (b. 1942) photographs focus on the passage of time as it is recorded in landscapes from North Dakota to Great Britain to Argentina. Using an 8 x 10 inch view camera, Dow turns his lens to roadside signs, ageing buildings, and interiors that feel locked in another era. His images honestly record the scenes before his camera, avoiding sentiments of nostalgia while paying tribute to lands marked by past and current residents. A leading American photographer, Dow pushes his viewer to reconsider familiar surroundings and discern the beauty and cultural history hidden in modern landscapes.
Dow first gained attention for his panoramic triptychs of baseball stadiums, a project that began with an image he made of Veteran's Stadium in Philadelphia in 1980. Dow has documented more than two hundred major and minor league parks in the United States and Canada.
Jim Dow: American Studies, 17/03/2012 - 05/04/2012, Robert Klein Gallery, 38 Newbury Street, Fourth Floor, Boston, MA 02116. www.robertkleingallery.com
Captions:
1. The Sno House, US 11, Moselle, Mississippi, 1981
2. Coca-Cola Sign on Highway, US 78, Burnsville, Mississippi, 1978
3. Real Blue Ribbon Bar-B-Q, Roue 2A, Arlington, Massachusetts, 2000
4. Rawlings Little Pig BBQ, St. Petersburg, VA, 1988
5. Zummo's Market, Airline Highway, Metarie, LA, 1979
6. Pat's Drive-In, Tucson, Arizona, 1980
7. Lunch Counter at Railroad Station, Pueblo, CO, 1981
All images copyright the artist. Courtesy of Robert Klein Gallery.
