Jordan Mattox

I am looking forward to interviewing Dr. Jenni Sorkin about her wonderful new book Art in California. The book extensively covers the history of art in the state from the mid-19th century to the modern-day artists. I will be discussing some of my favorites over the next few weeks. The first that we will look at is Anne W. Brigman. Here’s a brief biography: 

“Anne W. Brigman, a late nineteenth-century pictorialist photographer, was born in Hawaii but spent most of her life in California. She used natural images combined with the female figure to create mysteriously poetic images. The Dying Cedar [SAAM 1994.91.33] can be understood as a commentary on the grandeur and universality of nature—the oneness of woman and creation. More recently, the photograph has been seen as a statement of feminist principles, expressing a yearning for some sort of unattainable freedom. Brigman used cedar trees almost exclusively in her female nude images, but the reference to Daphne (the nymph pursued by Apollo who was saved by being transformed into a laurel tree) is unmistakable. Brigman was one of the first women to photograph nudes in a wilderness landscape. Her images deliberately resemble charcoal drawings, as she sought to capture the spirit of her subject rather than a faithful reproduction.”

And here are some of her amazing photographs: