I have a sense, perhaps because of the long history of adversity, that the story of Alabama at this moment in time is of growing importance, and that no region of the country better encapsulates the contrasts, the challenges, and the aspiration for truth and reconciliation.
– Andrew Moore
Jackson Fine Art is thrilled to announce Blue Alabama, the debut of a much-anticipated new body of work from photographer Andrew Moore. Moore began work on a series set in the south in 2010, initially travelling to Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi before shifting his focus to Alabama, in particular the Black Belt, a rich and complex region Moore calls “the most prominent social and cultural feature of Lower Alabama.” The 14 photographs comprising this forthcoming exhibition evince Moore’s signature style – large format prints captured by an 8x10 view camera and shot on film. Their scale and clarity enable the viewer to step into the Blue Alabama storybook unguarded and freely crossing thresholds of humanity equal in scope and richness.
The opening reception will be held on the evening of Friday, April 13th, with an accompanying audio installation from multi-media artist Kelly Loudenberg. the result of a collaboration between Moore, Loudenberg, and the subjects and supporters of the Blue Alabama work. On the morning of Saturday, April 14th, we’ll host a public “meet the artist” and informal artist talk with Andrew Moore, complete with regional delicacies – biscuits and Bloody Marys.
Also on view will be a selection of Langdon Clay’s Cars, a dramatic parade of cars parked in New York City and captured by Clay from 1974 – 1976. Utilizing only natural lighting, Clay magically embues his subjects with the drama of a movie set – or, as Luc Sante notes in his foreword to the Steidl monograph, mug shots. Clay’s proud Pintos, LeSabres, and Gremlins attest to a moment frozen in time, while Blue Alabama suggests that perceived notions of place and past may be shifting more rapidly than we think.
About Andrew Moore
American photographer Andrew Moore (born 1957) carved his place in the art world making large format color photographs. His series—typically taken over the course of many years—capture the effect of time on natural and man-made landscapes. His emotive work follows locales from Cuba to Russia and the United States, including slices of cities like Detroit and New York as well as broader regions including the High Plains and American South. Moore’s documentary approach to the craft makes his work feel like a mixture of equal parts journalism and art. His photographs have appeared in dozens of publications and galleries. Moore currently teaches a graduate seminar in the MFA Photography Video and Related Media program at New York City’s School of Visual Arts.
His work has appeared at Whitney Museum of American Art, Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian Institute, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, J. Paul Getty Museum and countless galleries and museums across the U.S. Moore has also had solo exhibitions at Jackson Fine Art eight times since 2003.
About Langdon Clay
Langdon Clay was born in New York City in 1949. He grew up in New Jersey and Vermont and attended school in New Hampshire and Boston. Clay moved to New York in 1971 and spent the next sixteen years photographing there, around the country and in Europe for various magazines and books. In 1987 he moved to Mississippi where he has since lived and worked with his wife Maude Schuyler Clay. His work is held in many private and public collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris.
