Nicholas Nixon at Fraenkel: Way beyond the Brown sisters
Nicholas Nixon, one of this country’s most respected art photographers, had no idea on the August day in 1974 when he took a group photo of his wife, Bebe, and her three younger sisters, that he had embarked on a seemingly endless fruitful collaboration.
In each arresting black-and-white frame they stare squarely into Nixon’s bulky large-format camera, striking roughly the same poses.
The exhibition (accompanied by a 180-page hardcover book, with an introduction by Jeffrey Fraenkel) is a stunning presentation of images highlighting the vast range and simple beauty of Nixon’s eye for complex visual detail.
Abiding themes have remained urbanscapes, life cycles (newborn babies and the very elderly) and people in relationship with one another, whether tending to an ailing family member or gathered casually on a front porch.
Reviewing Nixon’s vast oeuvre to select work for the new exhibition and book, Brandt says she was struck by the truth-telling in the unmatched qualities of the large-format camera (8-by-10 negatives, or occasionally 11-by-14).
Whether it’s pictures of lovers, his young son, the light on the grass or cities, Nick has an amazing ability to illustrate our world and a spirit of always being game for something new.