Michael Eastman – 50 Years of Photography – The Colors and Textures of Time

JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 17, 2024

“50 Years of Photography – The Colors and Textures of Time,” invites viewers on a captivating journey through Michael Eastman’s lens, revealing the essence of beauty found in the ordinary and the extraordinary. The exhibitions is a testament to Eastman’s unparalleled ability to freeze moments in time with his camera, transforming the everyday into extraordinary visual narratives. A significant portion of the exhibition is dedicated to his studies of interior spaces. From the old streets of Havana to the quiet charm of Venetian palaces, Eastman’s photographs celebrate the diversity of cultures and the enduring beauty found in the architecture of these iconic cities. These photographs, often devoid of human presence, become contemplative spaces where the play of light and color takes center stage. Eastman’s meticulous attention to detail and his ability to evoke a sense of timelessness within these spaces elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary, inviting viewers to explore the nuances of their own surroundings. Along side Eastman’s interiors are his recent cyanotypes of the leaves and foliage from the parks and woods near his native town of St. Louis. The new cyanotypes combine Eastman’s joy of developing a technical virtuosity with his love of classic techniques developed through the history of the medium. His various diverse images are testaments to Eastman’s ability to find beauty in transient moments and elevate them to the status of timeless art. 

“50 Years of Photography – The Colors and Textures of Time,” invites viewers on a captivating journey through Michael Eastman’s lens, revealing the essence of beauty found in the ordinary and the extraordinary. The exhibitions is a testament to Eastman’s unparalleled ability to freeze moments in time with his camera, transforming the everyday into extraordinary visual narratives. A significant portion of the exhibition is dedicated to his studies of interior spaces. From the old streets of Havana to the quiet charm of Venetian palaces, Eastman’s photographs celebrate the diversity of cultures and the enduring beauty found in the architecture of these iconic cities. These photographs, often devoid of human presence, become contemplative spaces where the play of light and color takes center stage. Eastman’s meticulous attention to detail and his ability to evoke a sense of timelessness within these spaces elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary, inviting viewers to explore the nuances of their own surroundings. Along side Eastman’s interiors are his recent cyanotypes of the leaves and foliage from the parks and woods near his native town of St. Louis. The new cyanotypes combine Eastman’s joy of developing a technical virtuosity with his love of classic techniques developed through the history of the medium. His various diverse images are testaments to Eastman’s ability to find beauty in transient moments and elevate them to the status of timeless art. 

Michael Eastman has established himself as one of the world’s leading contemporary photographic artists. As a self-taught photographer, Eastman is a seeker and explorer. For the past five decades, he has captured landscapes, architecture, horses, and abstraction. He explores these subjects with mastery as an artist, essentially drawing attention to the myriad details in his pictures. He is most recognized for his explorations of architectural forms and the patinas that the passage of time gives to structures, creating mysterious narratives about time and place. He has spent five decades documenting interiors and facades in cities as diverse as Havana, Paris, Rome, and New Orleans, producing large-scale photographs unified by their visual precision, monumentality, and painterly use of color. His photography is characterized by a distinctive blend of technical precision, emotional resonance, and a profound appreciation for the interplay of light, color and shadow. His images evoke a sense of nostalgia, drawing viewers into a world where the past is frozen in time.

“50 Years of Photography – The Colors and Textures of Time” not only showcases Michael Eastman’s artistic prowess, but also serves as a celebration of the enduring power of photography as a medium. The exhibition explores themes ranging from urban landscapes to intimate interiors, presenting a rich tapestry of the life people have lived through their physical habitats captured through Eastman’s discerning lens. The exhibition is a must-see for art lovers, photography enthusiasts, and anyone captivated by the beauty that surrounds us in the everyday. Through a painterly technique and masterful composition, Michael Eastman’s photography emphasizes a sense of quiet admiration and unapologetic sincerity. His keen eye for composition, mastery of light, and ability to uncover beauty in the ordinary have earned him a distinguished place in the world of contemporary photography.

Eastman’s portraits of various structures showcase the effects and transformation of time amid the grandeur, presenting profiles loyal to all the organic imperfections caused by the passage of time and use. In each creation, Eastman provides an abundance of unique detail, inserting an element of imagined history. His work is a study in profound observation. The moments Eastman captures are part of a larger story, one that in its entirety we can never really know. His photographs speak to a narrative beyond the frame. This narrative concerns history and time as a metaphor for a human presence. Eastman’s body of work, along with his saturated use of color, ranges between creative vision and nostalgia. Eastman’s photographs suggest a meeting ground for imagination and reality, where the path between history and the present becomes a poetic visual record. 

Whether capturing a concealed doorway in a Buenos Aires palace, creating unique cyanotype prints from foliage, or presenting the many empty chairs, facades, doorways, mirrors, and interiors as the protagonists of his photos, Michael Eastman’s photographs are captivating in both their subtlety and their boldness. Eastman’s photographs have appeared in major magazines such as Time, Life, Art in America, Art News, Art Forum, Communication Arts and American Photographer. His photographs have appeared in publications like TIME, Life, Art in America, Art News, Art Forum, Communication Arts and American Photographer. His books include Havana (2011, Prestel), Vanishing America (2008, Rizzoli), and Horses (2003, Knopf). Selected museum collections include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, The Art Institute of Chicago, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and other institutions. 

“The Colors and Textures of Time” promises to be a transformative experience, inviting viewers to see the world with new eyes and appreciate the extraordinary in the ordinary.