Mary and Wayne

1979

Jim Goldberg

Associated Names
Jim Goldberg

Artist, American, born 1953

The image shows a woman and a child standing together inside a room. The woman has short, light-colored hair and a serious expression on her face. She is wearing a sleeveless dress with decorative elements across the chest and waist, standing barefoot on the floor. The child, a young boy, appears to be shirtless and wears only a pair of underwear. He stands barefoot beside her, his gaze averted from the camera. In the background, a plain wall features a small religious figurine mounted on it. To their left is a dark radiator and a piece of furniture with various items on top, including a framed photo and a carton. The floor is wooden, and an electrical cord runs along one side of the baseboard. The atmosphere in the room is sparse and undecorated. Surrounding the photograph are handwritten notes on the paper.

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Artwork overview


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Jim Goldberg, San Francisco; gift to the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1994; acquired by NGA, 2015.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2006

  • Sight/Insight: Photographs from the Permanent Collection, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, April 26 – October 29, 2006

Bibliography

1985

  • Goldberg, Jim. Rich and Poor. New York,1985: unnumbered.

Inscriptions

in subject's hand, across top above image [photographically printed on sheet in black]: We are allways[sic] very affectionate / together / Mary.[underlined]; in second subject's hand, across center below image [photographically printed on sheet in black]: My MOM LOOKS PRettY / I LOOK SCAReD / Wayne; on verso, signed by artist, bottom right in graphite: 1979 Jim Goldberg

Wikidata ID

Q64155822

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