Faded Elegance: Photographs of Havana by Michael Eastman

Michael Eastman (American, b. 1947). Portrait, Havana, 2010. Digital C-Print, 90 x 72 in. © Michael Eastman/Photograph courtesy Barry Friedman Ltd.

About the Exhibition
Faded Elegance: Photographs of Havana by Michael Eastman consists of twenty-nine, 6 x 7 1/2 ft. photographs taken by the artist between 1999 and 2010. Over more than a decade, Eastman captured Havana’s changing cultural landscape in his images of the city’s architecture and lush interiors, ravaged by the effects of time. His large-scale photographs evoke the nostalgia and wealth of a bygone era, while shedding light on the harsh economic realities faced in present day Cuba. While in Havana, Eastman photographed a number of subjects, from the interiors of homes along Ambassador Way, to stairwells and music schools, to abstract patterns found on the exteriors of buildings. Eastman is known for his richly colored photographs, which he captures with his 4 x 5 camera. This exhibition will be the first to explore the depth and range of Eastman’s Havana photographs. Faded Elegance: Photographs of Havana by Michael Eastman is organized by the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and curated by Alison Amick.

About the Artist
Michael Eastman has established himself as one of the world’s leading contemporary photographic artists. The self-taught photographer has spent four decades documenting interiors and facades in cities as diverse as Havana, Paris, Rome, and New Orleans, producing large-scale photographs unified by their visual precision, monumentality, and painterly use of color. Eastman is most recognized for his explorations of architectural form and the textures of decay, which create mysterious narratives about time and place. He continues to resist the digital movement, capturing his images on film and printing them himself.

Eastman’s photographs have appeared in Time, Life, and American Photographer, and they reside in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the International Center of Photography, The Art Institute of Chicago, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and other prestigious institutions. His books include Vanishing America (2008, Rizzoli) and Horses (2003, Knopf), which is now in its fifth edition. Eastman lives in St. Louis.

Availability
3-4 venues, 12-week presentation, starting late January 2012

  • Oklahoma City Museum of Art (September 8 – December 31, 2011)
  • TBA (May – August 2012)
  • TBA (September – December 2012)
  • TBA (January – April 2013)
  • Tampa Museum of Art (Summer 2013)

Participation Fee
$17,000, plus shipping. Participation fee includes courier fees. Shipping and prorated expenses will be calculated once the exhibition schedule has been arranged. Label and didactic information will be provided on CD.

Publication
Michael Eastman’s full-color publication Havana (hardcover, Prestel, Fall 2011) is a vivid and poetic tribute to a vibrant, unique city and culture. The book will be comprised of over 90 photographs, the fruits of his four trips to Cuba over the last 12 years. Cuban-born writer and poet Achy Obejas will contribute an introductory essay, and Vicki Goldberg (The Power of Photography and Light Matters) will contribute both an essay and an interview with the photographer.

Number of Photographs
29 photographs, 90 x 72 in. (framed)

Special Requirements
Light levels not to exceed 15 foot candles

Contact
For curatorial inquiries, please contact Alison Amick at (405) 278-8208 or aamick@okcmoa.com. To discuss booking or shipping arrangements, please contact Erika Katayama, registrar, at (405) 278-8214 or ekatayama@okcmoa.com.