NICHOLAS NIXON – ABOUT FORTY YEARS
2015-08-10In 1975 Nixon commented, “The world is infinitely more interesting than any of my opinions about it.” To present the world as he sees it Nixon has consistently used large, unwieldy cameras, with negatives measuring 8 x 10 inches or 11 x 14 inches, to describe life in precise, compelling detail.
His recurring themes—portraits of the very young and the very old, cities seen up close and afar, people on their porches, etc.—at first may appear to be unrelated strands. But, in retrospect, the photographs are woven together by the artist’s singular sensibility: a feeling of intimacy gained by clear-eyed, lucid description. In the frame of his camera, Nixon revels in the rich variation of surfaces and textures and the specific characteristics that give his subjects life.
Whether photographing landscape, couples making love, extreme close-ups of hair and skin, or family groups, Nixon’s work captures fleeting moments and gestures in an extended pause. His photographs seem to suspend time while evidencing a palpable consciousness of its passage.
Opposite – View of Essex Street, Near the Massachusetts Turnpike, Boston, 1976
Exhibition runs from September 10th through to October 24th, 2015
Fraenkel Gallery
49 Geary Street, 4th Floor
San Francisco
CA 94108
www.thephotographersgallery.org.uk
