One of the most original and influential photographers of his generation, Emmet Gowin (born 1941) is also among the most attuned to the deep historical life of images. For this spellbinding exhibition—the first exploration of his career at a New York museum—Gowin has combined favorites and rarities from five decades of work with objects drawn from throughout the collections of the Morgan. Included are ancient Near Eastern seals and tablets, Medieval illuminations, rare printed books, musical manuscripts, and master drawings by artists from Botticelli and Rembrandt to Blake and Mondrian. Gowin's photographs include searching portraits of his wife, Edith, and their extended family, "working landscapes" where nature and humanity have shaped one another for centuries, and aerial views of sites shaped by modern-era catastrophes ranging from volcanic activity to nuclear testing.
Emmet Gowin, Edith, 2004. Gold toned salt print , 8 3/4 x 6 inches (222.3 x 152.4 mm), Collection of Edith and Emmet Gowin, © Edith and Emmet Gowin, courtesy of Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York.