Smithsonian American Art Museum
John Gossage: The Pond
August 27, 2010 – January 17, 2011
John Gossage (b. 1946) photographed a small, unnamed pond between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland, between 1981 and 1985. The title was intended to recall Henry David Thoreau's Walden, but Gossage advocated a more all-embracing view of the landscape, exploring the less idealized spaces that border America's cities and suburbs. Although many of the images in The Pond appear unruly or uncared for, Gossage found moments of grace and elegance in even the most mundane of places.
The complete portfolio of The Pond was acquired by the museum in 2007. This exhibition marks the first time the complete series of 53 gelatin silver prints has been on public display.
The Pond: re-issued edition, co-published by the museum, includes an essay by photo historian Gerry Badger and an introduction by Toby Jurovics
