Exhibition Fact Sheet from the National Building Museum

Form and Movement: Fact Sheet

Photographs by Philip Trager

Exhibition

Form and Movement: Photographs by Philip Trager

When

July 11, 2009 through January 3, 2010

Where

National Building Museum, second-floor galleries

Overview

Form and Movement: Photographs by Philip Trager showcases images from Philip Trager's 40-year career, including new work exhibited publicly for the first time. Most of the 90 photographs in the 3,000-square-foot exhibition are black and white platinum, gelatin silver, or Iris prints, with the exception of Trager's recent explorations with bold color. The exhibition includes striking images of New England, expansive New York cityscapes, the Italian villas of Andrea Palladio, Paris along the Seine, and remarkable depictions of modern dance.

Organized by aesthetic categories that span subject matter, the exhibition brings to the forefront Trager's formalist eye and overarching desire to capture what he considers to be the essential character of his subjects, whether it is a Palladian villa or a body in flight. Light and perspective, motion and symmetry—rather than specific buildings or dancers—are the subjects under investigation in Form and Movement.   

A section on technique reveals the importance of darkroom processes to Trager's work, featuring annotated proofs exhibited alongside final prints and a series of the same image created using different printing processes. Trager has taken an active, creative role in the production of the books featuring his work. First edition volumes and journals will also be on display.

Form and Movement is presented in cooperation with the Library of Congress, which will house the definitive archive of Trager's life work. A companion installation will open at the headquarters of the American Institute of Architects in Washington, DC, in October 2009.

About the Artist

Philip Trager is one of the foremost contemporary photographers of architecture and dance. Library Journal said, "Trager has spent more than 40 years making photographs that transform our physical world into moments of clarity and brightness unique to the medium." Trager has exhibited widely and published numerous books, including the retrospective Philip Trager (2006), Dancers (1992), Photographs of Architecture (1977), and The Villas of Palladio (1986). He lives in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Curators

The curators of Form and Movement are Laura Schiavo and Reed Haslach.

Sponsors

Form and Movement: Photographs by Philip Trager is made possible by the Director's Exhibition Fund with additional support from Reed Construction Data.

The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to exploring and celebrating architecture, design, engineering, construction, and planning. Chartered by Congress in 1980 and open to the public since 1985, the Museum has become a vital forum for exchanging ideas and information about the built environment through its exhibitions, education programs, and publications. The Museum is located at 401 F Street NW, Washington, D.C. Museum hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. Admission is free. Museum Shop. Café. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org.