Gerry Johansson (Swedish 1945)
Zell, South Dakota, 1996/1998
gelatin silver print
signed, titled, dated and numbered '1/5' (on the reverse), aside from the edition of 1 AP
image size 30 x 28.5 cm., frame size 47 x 42.5 cm.

Condition: In very good condition. Framed behind glass.

Notes: Artist & Practice

Johansson's work is characterized by its quiet observation and precise composition, often drawing comparisons to the New Topographics movement. In his grayscale images, composed down to the last detail, he visualises a phenomenon that is often understood as an abstract, elusive concept: Culture. Or, to be more precise, the cultural differences between the locations portrayed – no matter how subtle they may be.

Context

Zell, South Dakota is part of Johansson's renowned Amerika series, which captures the understated beauty of small-town America through minimalist black-and-white photography. This series was published in the photobook Amerika (1998) and later in a special edition in 2009, which included silver gelatin prints of selected images, highlighting their significance within his oeuvre.

Notes

His photographs are held in esteemed institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and the Moderna Museet in Stockholm. He studied graphic design at the School of Design and Crafts in Gothenburg, Sweden. He worked as a graphic designer for 15 years before dedicating himself completely to photography in the mid-1980s.




Provenance:
Galerie Wouter van Leeuwen, Amsterdam.
Acquired at the above by the present owner in 2015.