Sonora
1991
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image: 38.1 x 37.3 cm (15 x 14 11/16 in.) sheet: 50.8 x 40.3 cm (20 x 15 7/8 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Patrons' Permanent Fund
Accession Number
2001.22.404
Art Historical Context
**Sonora, 1991** Lee Friedlander, a master of American street photography, captures the essence of place in *Sonora*, a gelatin silver print from 1991. Known for his pioneering work since the 1960s, Friedlander transformed everyday scenes into intricate visual puzzles, layering reflections, shadows, and signage to reveal the chaotic beauty of the modern world. This late-career image exemplifies his enduring fascination with the American landscape, likely evoking the rugged Southwest—Sonora could nod to the Mexican state or Arizona region—blending documentary precision with poetic ambiguity. ...
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...