Larry Sultan (1946-2009) was a photographer who spoke in wistfully declarative tones; his images walk a line between documentary sincerity and more conceptual maneuvers. He presents the world as he uncovers it, detecting invisible tendencies that often pass unnoticed, even in the most benign of paradises.
The exhibition “Larry Sultan: Here and Home” is a substantial retrospective that focuses on six major series produced during his lifetime. It begins with “Evidence,” a body of work developed in the late 1970s with artist Mike Mandel. Theirs was a provocative process as they gained access to various corporate archives and selected pictures suggesting actions or experiments—some a bit more nefarious than others. With these found photos, context is stripped away to accentuate the strangeness of raw scenarios.
Similar undercurrents resonate in Sultan’s later work, such as “The Valley” (1997-2003). This series of photographs records the adult film industry where suburban homes are transformed into sets for artifice and desire. Some of Sultan’s most iconic images come from the “Pictures from Home” series (1983-1992), where his aging but image-conscious parents are the protagonists. While the photographs reflect an intimate home life, they also point out disparate truths about various ideals in living.
In perusing this exhibition, the viewer will experience portraits of various lives. From Sultan’s vantage point, they seem inherently familiar while simultaneously distant. His approach is able to grasp moments with acute understanding, yet remain like a visitor who has just arrived in an unfamiliar place, climate and time. Still, we understand these images as they are stopped by the camera and washed by an optimistically pastel color palette. We can imagine, project and empathize with the unseen actions that take place as daily rhythms, habits and quirks. Freshly, Sultan’s photographs engage us in the curiosities of daily existence.
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Various special events are planned for this exhibition. On Saturday, Jan. 16, the movie The Savages will be screened, and A Serious Man will be shown on Saturday, Jan. 23. These are films selected to complement themes in the show. On Tuesday, Jan. 19, Lisa Sutcliff, the Milwaukee Art Museum’s photography and media arts curator, will lead an exhibition tour.
Through Jan. 24 at the Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive. For further information, visit mam.org.
