Recent Acquisitions, Part I: Contemporary Photographs

Since our building on Quincy Street closed in 2008 to prepare for a major renovation project, the Harvard Art Museums have continued to acquire an impressive range of works. This installation of fourteen works by eleven artists features a selection of photographs that illustrates the breadth of approaches to contemporary practice. It is the first in a series of exhibitions highlighting recent acquisitions.

In addition to works by major international photographers, including James Casebere, Nikki S. Lee, Vera Lutter, and Hiroshi Sugimoto, the exhibition presents photographs that have entered the collection through two special programs. One, the South Asian Photography Initiative, is a cross-departmental effort to build an enduring teaching and research collection of modern and contemporary South Asian photography. The other, the Busch-Reisinger Museum’s Friends Anniversary Collection, dramatically enhances our holdings of photographs by contemporary German artists. This display demonstrates the museums’ ongoing commitment to the study and exhibition of contemporary photography and celebrates the many generous donors and supporters who have made these acquisitions possible.

Curated by Michelle Lamunière, John R. and Barbara Robinson Family Assistant Curator of Photography; and Laura Muir, Assistant Curator of the Busch-Reisinger Museum, both in the Division of Modern and Contemporary Art, Harvard Art Museums.

The exhibition is made possible in part by generous support from the Emily Rauh Pulitzer and Joseph Pulitzer Jr. Fund for Modern and Contemporary Art and the Edwin H. Land/Polaroid Fund, Harvard Art Museums.