Natural Drainages Outlined by Cultivation, Dry Land Wheat Farming near Hermiston, Oregon

1991

Emmet Gowin

Associated Names
Emmet Gowin

Artist, American, born 1941

The image displays an aerial perspective of a landscape with winding lines resembling branches or tributaries. The horizon is not visible, emphasizing the abstract nature of the view. Closest to us is a textured undulating terrain with small, circular patterns evenly dispersed, interspersed with distinct dark line formations. These lines are fluid and organic, resembling ink trails or natural waterways. The color palette is subdued, dominated by shades of grey and beige, giving the image a somber aesthetic. Each section of the terrain appears separated by these dark line formations, enhancing the sense of division and flow throughout the image. The texture and tone imply a tactile and layered landscape, captured with a smooth yet detailed technique.
This object’s media is not available for download. Contact us about image usage.
Not on view See artworks now on view

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Jane P. Watkins

  • Dimensions

    image: 24.1 × 23.8 cm (9 1/2 × 9 3/8 in.)
    sheet: 35.6 × 27.8 cm (14 × 10 15/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.185.10

  • Series Title

    Changing the Earth

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Emmet Gowin, Newton, PA; (Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York), 2015; NGA purchase, 2015.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2015

  • Celebrating Photography at the National Gallery of Art: Recent Gifts, Washington, DC, November 1, 2015–February 28, 2016

Bibliography

2002

  • Reynolds, Jock. Emmet Gowin: Changing the Earth: Aerial Photographs. New Haven, 2002: 55.

Inscriptions

on verso, signed by artist, lower center in graphite: Emmet Gowin; by artist, across top in graphite: Agfa 3[circled] [illegible printer's notes] 30 @ 8 + 30 [^] 2 + [illegible printer's notes] / late / xx; lower center in graphite: Natural Drainages Outlined by Cultivation, Dry Land Wheat Farming near Hermiston, Oregon, 1991; bottom right in graphite: fine to finish; by unknown hand, top right in graphite: EG.291.13

Wikidata ID

Q64147370

You may be interested in

Loading Results