Berenice Abbott’s Modern Lens

Berenice Abbott (1898–1991) was one of the most important American photographers of the twentieth century, known for her pioneering documentary style, unpretentious compositions, and technical innovations. A woman photographer working in the relatively early days of the medium, Abbott demonstrated that women could hold a prominent place in cutting-edge artistic communities. The Clark marks the 100-year anniversary of Abbott’s first photographs with an exhibition examining the relationship between her portraits of people and her “portraits” of places.
Berenice Abbott’s Modern Lens begins with Abbott’s earliest portrait photography, taken in 1920s Paris while working as an assistant in the legendary Man Ray’s studio. Writers, musicians, artists, publishers, and socialites—many of whom lived visibly queer lives, like Abbott herself—all found themselves looking through her discerning lens as she captured a sense of the rapidly changing social landscape. The exhibition also highlights Abbott’s pivot from photographing people to photographing architectural and urban subjects. Her celebrated images of New York City, taken after returning from Paris, document the fleeting essence of an urbanism in flux. Much less well-known are Abbott’s photographs of tidy row houses in Albany and proud old mansions in the suburbs of Boston. Viewed alongside her Parisian portraits, Abbott’s skill in capturing the authentic character of these places is apparent.
In 2007, the Clark received a large gift of Berenice Abbott photographs from the A&M Penn Photography Foundation. Printed under Abbott’s supervision in 1982, the majority of these photographs have not yet been on view. Berenice Abbott’s Modern Lens displays them at the Clark for the first time.
This exhibition is organized by the Clark Art Institute and curated by Grace Hanselman, curatorial assistant for works on paper.

Berenice Abbott, Portrait of Jane Heap, c. 1928, printed 1982, gelatin silver print. The Clark, gift of A&M Penn Photography Foundation by Arthur Stephen Penn and Paul Katz, 2007.2.218