Swallows, Platte River, Nebraska

Barbara Bosworth, Swallows, Platte River, Nebraska, 1991, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Haluk and Elisa Soykan, 2008.2.13, © 1991, Barbara Bosworth
Copied Barbara Bosworth, Swallows, Platte River, Nebraska, 1991, gelatin silver print, 7 x 19 3⁄8 in. (17.8 x 49.2 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Haluk and Elisa Soykan, 2008.2.13, © 1991, Barbara Bosworth

Artwork Details

Title
Swallows, Platte River, Nebraska
Artist
Date
1991
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
7 x 19 3⁄8 in. (17.8 x 49.2 cm)
Copyright
© 1991, Barbara Bosworth
Credit Line
Gift of Haluk and Elisa Soykan
Mediums Description
gelatin silver print
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — Nebraska
  • Animal — bird — swallow
  • Landscape — river — Platte River
Object Number
2008.2.13
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2008.2.13

Artwork Description

Bosworth uses a distinctive method to make her panoramic photographs. She begins by exposing two, three, or four eight-by-ten-inch negatives in sequence, and then makes a contact print by setting the negatives side by side on a single sheet of photographic paper. The unexposed border of the film where the negatives meet appears as a black line. Although Bosworth could easily trim this mark away, she chooses not to hide the seam between each frame, preferring the evidence of her technique to remain visible. At a time when digital manipulation is becoming the norm, it is refreshing to encounter images that consciously draw attention to the photographic process and the manner of an image's creation.

Earth and Sky: Photographs by Barbara Bosworth exhibition label