Sonora
1992
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image: 37.6 x 37.3 cm (14 13/16 x 14 11/16 in.) sheet: 50.5 x 40.6 cm (19 7/8 x 16 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Patrons' Permanent Fund
Accession Number
2001.22.380
Art Historical Context
**Sonora**, a captivating gelatin silver print by Lee Friedlander from 1992, exemplifies the artist's masterful approach to American photography. Friedlander, a pivotal figure in post-World War II street and documentary photography, gained prominence in the 1960s alongside contemporaries like Garry Winogrand and Diane Arbus. His work often transforms everyday scenes into intricate visual puzzles, layering reflections, shadows, and signage to capture the complexity of modern life. By the 1990s, Friedlander had expanded into landscapes and self-portraits, with *Sonora*—likely evoking the rugged ...
About the Artist
Lee Friedlander
Lee Friedlander, born on July 14, 1934, in Aberdeen, Washington, to a Finnish-descended mother, Kaari Nurmi, and German-Jewish émigré father, Fritz Friedlander, discovered photography at age 14 amid a fascination with the medium's equipment. Tragedy marked his childhood when his mother died of cancer at age seven, yet he pursued his passion, earning pocket money with a camera before studying under...