Description:

Richard Misrach (American, b. 1949), "Crucifix and Union Carbide Plant 'Cancer Alley', Louisiana", 1998, chromogenic print, signed, titled, dated, numbered "2/25" and inscribed lower margin, sheet 20 in. x 24 in., framed. Note: Misrach is one of the most influential photographers of his generation, in the 1970s he helped to pioneer the renaissance of color photography and its use in large scale works. Most famous for his ongoing series, Desert Cantos, Misrach has captured landscapes for over 40 years, focusing on the human and industrial impact on nature. The artist says of his work: “My own agenda is foregrounding the importance of time in photos, in its infinite number of permutations.” Misrach was commissioned in 1998 by the High Art Museum in Atlanta to produce an exhibit entitled “Picturing the South.” His time in Louisiana consisted of traveling between Baton Rouge and New Orleans in the area known as “Cancer Alley,” documenting the relationship of the local people and the petrochemical industry. Shocked at the environmental conditions he encountered, the artist returned in 2012 to complete a continuation of the series. Referring to the haunting nature of these photos, art critic Jeff Davis used an example of the photograph offered here as the best model of what Misrach was portraying “...the themes of death and pollution at the hands of machinery and the petrochemical industry…” Editions of this print are included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, Chicago Art Institute, High Art Museum, Stanford University Cantor Art Center and Aperture Gallery New York. Ref: Harris, Melissa. “Richard Misrach and Kate Orff Discuss Petrochemical America." Aperture. Sept. 17, 2012. www.aperture.org. Accessed Oct. 18, 2016. Davis, Jeff. “Richard Misrach’s Cancer Alley." Creative Loafing Atlanta. Oct. 5, 2012. clatl.com. Accessed Oct. 18, 2016.

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