In the first survey of its vast photographic collection that covers roughly a quarter of its collection and spans close to 120 years, the Williams College Museum of Art’s current “Landmarks” exhibition is a powerful showcase of images that follow four themes: “landmark events, buildings as landmarks, landmark features of specific environments and landmark impressions” that celebrate some of the world’s biggest achievements during that time period along with bringing some of its grandest challenges and catastrophes to the forefront of our attention.
While it provides the opportunity to see some of the most famous images in history in person — Alfred Stieglitz’s “The Steerage” and Edward Steichen’s “The Flatiron,” Berenice Abbott’s “Nightview, New York,” William Anders’ 1968 “Earthrise” and Dorothea Lange’s “Potato Truck with Farmers, California,” amongst them — it also allows viewers to experience the work of photographers and photojournalists who risk their lives in telling the stories of those much less fortunate than them through their photographs in a much larger scale than the limited space given in our daily newspapers or weekly periodicals.
Just prior to the museum’s February 20th celebration of WCMA’s spring exhibitions, Artscope Magazine managing editor Brian Goslow exchanged questions with “Landmarks’” curator Horace D. Ballard, WCMA’s Curator of American Art, about his selection process for choosing the over 100 works that compose the exhibition, how he hopes the work will cause its viewers to take a wider interest in environmental events that affect the world as a whole and why art lovers in the region should consider a trip to Williamstown during the show’s stay.