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LAURA GILPIN (American, 1891-1980) THE GATE, LAGUNA, NEW MEXICO signed and dated “Laura Gilpin 24...

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:10,000.00 - 15,000.00 USD
LAURA GILPIN (American, 1891-1980) THE GATE, LAGUNA, NEW MEXICO signed and dated “Laura Gilpin 24...
LAURA GILPIN
(American, 1891-1980)
THE GATE, LAGUNA, NEW MEXICO
signed and dated “Laura Gilpin 24”
in pencil in image on recto
platinum print
mounted on board
91?2 x 71?4 in. (24.1 x 18.4 cm)
1924
ESTIMATE: $10,000-15,000
PROVENANCE
From the artist to a
Private Collection, CALIFORNIA
LITERATURE
Martha A. Sandweiss, LAURA GILPIN, AN ENDURING GRACE, FORT WORTH, Amon Carter Museum exh. cat., 1986,
pl. 86 (illustrated)
During an epoch when photographers sought to define themselves according to style, Laura Gilpin stands out as a photographer who identified herself with the Southwest. A pioneer in landscape photography- particularly impressive given the field’s domination by men- Gilpin was more than a regionalist. Her photographs of Native Americans and the West resonate with the rich history of the United States and a trip to Europe in 1922 confirmed her strong sense of identity as an American. The nostalgia she felt during a visit to Chartres reaffirmed her desire to focus on the Southwest and to capture a vanishing piece of the nation’s history: “The romance of the Old West vanished so fast and so few ever did anything about it. Does it make you realize the importance of art, and how the main knowledge of history is through Art alone?” (Gilpin, LAURA GILPIN: AN ENDURING GRACE, FORT WORTH, Amon Carter Museum, 1986, p. 38). The powerful formal composition of The Gate, Laguna, New Mexico confirms Gilpin’s lifelong interest in the area and its unique history and tradition. She exploits the brilliant sunshine and deep shadows to create a striking frame for the blanketed woman. In so doing she emphasizes the relationship between the people of the Southwest and their land.