Atlanta

1990

Harry Callahan

Associated Names
Harry Callahan

Artist, American, 1912 - 1999

This is a photograph of a weathered utility pole covered in remnants of torn posters and papers. The central focus is on the wooden utility pole, which is heavily layered with countless staples, tacks, and remnants of aged and peeling flyers or posters. The fragments of paper are in various states of decay, with some pieces flapping slightly away from the pole. Their colors range from faded whites and yellows to hints of residual colors. The background is a blurred view of an urban setting, with the indistinct outlines of buildings and street features. The pole itself conveys a sense of history and urban decay, as it accumulates the memory of messages and notices that have long been removed.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    chromogenic print

  • Credit Line

    Robert B. Menschel Fund

  • Dimensions

    image: 16.35 x 16.35 cm (6 7/16 x 6 7/16 in.)
    sheet: 23.65 x 20.48 cm (9 5/16 x 8 1/16 in.)
    mat: 45.72 x 35.56 cm (18 x 14 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1997.33.3


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

The artist, Atlanta, GA; purchased with donated funds by NGA, 1997.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1996

  • Harry Callahan, National Gallery of Art, Washington; Philadelphia Museum of Art; High Museum of Art, Atlanta; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1996-1997.

Bibliography

1996

  • Greenough 1996, p. 159.

Wikidata ID

Q64154882

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