Memory Rendering of Kent State Shooting
1989, printed 1995
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image: 16.2 × 24.5 cm (6 3/8 × 9 5/8 in.) sheet: 27.7 × 35.5 cm (10 7/8 × 14 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Tony Podesta Collection, Washington, DC
Accession Number
2021.106.3.4
Art Historical Context
In Vik Muniz's *Memory Rendering of Kent State* (1989, printed 1995), the Brazilian artist captures a poignant reinterpretation of one of America's most infamous moments: the May 4, 1970, tragedy at Kent State University. an anti-Vietnam War protest, National Guardsmen fired on unarmed students, killing four and wounding nine. This gelatin silver print, a classic black-and-white photographic process prized for its rich tonal range and archival stability, measures a intimate 16.2 × 24.5 cm, inviting close contemplation. Part of Muniz's early *Memory Renderings* series, the work explores how pe...