Gourd Tree, Near Akron, AL
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Gourd Tree, Near Akron, AL
Artwork Details
Artist/Maker
William Christenberry
American, 1936–2016
American, 1936–2016
Date
1964
Medium
Dye coupler print
Accession #
2004.34
Dimensions
Image: 3 1/8 x 4 7/8 inches
Sheet: 8 x 10 inches
Location
Currently Not on View
Description
Christenberry continually sought out the subtle metaphors that persist within the visual vocabulary of the rural South. Allusions to the cycles of life and death, as are evident in many of his long-term studies of aging buildings, were of particular interest. As a counterpoint to his photographs of graves, Christenberry regularly photographed hollowed-out gourds, which farmers hang from trees to attract nesting birds and thus encourage new life.
Credit
Gift of Photo Forum Board of Advisors in honor of Tom Southall's five-year anniversaryImage Copyright
(c) William Christenberry
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