Pace Gallery presents Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, an online exhibition bringing together some of the most significant photographers of the 20th century around themes of humanity, perseverance and fractured America.
Jack Kerouac’s poetic quote on the diversity of American landscapes introduces the brilliant presentation of works by Richard Avedon, Harry Callahan, Robert Frank, Paul Graham, Peter Hujar, Richard Learoyd, Richard Misrach, Irving Penn among other major artists. Together, these remarkable works examine post-war American values and underscore the power of photography to disrupt expectations and celebrate the mundane.
The exhibition is contextualised by academic material including redirections to fascinating videos. William Christenberry: Time & Texture, recorded by the High Museum of Art on the occasion of the artist’s exhibition there in 2019, and Peter Hujar’s friend David Wojnarowicz reading an excerpt from his poem, No Alternative, are particularly poignant.
Connecting the past to the present, photographs by William Eggleston, Richard Learoyd, JoAnn Verburg, Richard Misrach, and Trevor Paglen delve into the timeless, wide-open expanse and mythic presence of the American West, which has long captured the imaginations of artists.
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes runs until 28th April and is accessible here.
