Botanical photography, nudes, portraits and industrial landscapes were some of Cunningham’s major photographic themes.
Cunningham grew up in a big family in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington. Cunningham’s interest in photography came early, and in 1901, she sent away $15 for her first camera, commencing what would become one of the longest photographic careers in the history of the medium. Cunningham’s formal training in photography was self-constructed: She enrolled at the University of Washington as a chemistry student because there were no photography classes or photo department.
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After graduation, she was a photo assistant at the Edward Curtis studio, where she learned first-hand, the business aspects of running a portrait studio and experienced the technique of platinum printing.
After two years at the Curtis studio, she spent a year in Dresden, Germany finally enabling her to formally study the photographic process with the renowned Dr. Robert Luther at the Technische Hochschule where she became proficient in the technique of platinum printing.
Returning to the United States, Cunningham opened her own photography studio in Seattle and soon became a popular portrait photographer while pursuing her own Pictorialist photographic work with a large format camera. In 1917 Cunningham moved to Northern California where she resided for the rest of her life.
As a professional photographer, Cunningham continued to work as a portrait photographer while creating work for herself and managing gallery relationships, exhibitions of her work, and accepting part-time teaching positions in California. In the 1930s
Cunningham was a member of the California-based Group f/64, whose photographic intent departed from Pictorialism with sharply focused, longer depth of field photographs.
In 1975, Cunningham established the Imogen Cunningham Trust, to create an archive of her work so that it could continue to be available for exhibition, study and sale.
BIOGRAPHY
Exhibitions
2009–2010
Everything Under the Sun: Photographs by Imogen Cunningham, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA (solo)
2003
Natural Inspiration, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (solo)
2002
Imogen Cunningham: Her Family and Friends, Jan Kesner Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (solo)
1999
Imogen Cunningham: Pictorialism - Modernism, Jan Kesner Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (solo)
1998
Imogen Cunningham, Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA (solo)
1994
Imogen Cunningham: Magical Realism, Jan Kesner Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1993
Die Poesie der Form, Fotografie Forum international, Frankfurt, Germany
1991
Imogen Cunningham, Hasselblad Center, Göteborg, Sweden (solo)
1983
The Photographs of Imogen Cunningham: A Centennial Selection, Blaffer Gallery, The Art Museum of the University of Houston, Houston, TX and Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, WA (solo)
Imogen Cunningham: A 75-Year Photographic Survey, Presentation House Gallery, North Vancouver, Canada (solo)
1974
Imogen, Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, WA (solo)
1973
Imogen Cunningham, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY (solo)
Witkin Gallery, New York, NY (solo)
1972
Group f.64 Exhibition, Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley, CA
1970
Witkin Gallery, New York, NY (solo)
1964
Photographs by Imogen Cunningham, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL (solo)
1941
Golden Gate International Exposition, Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA
1936
E. B. Crocker Art Gallery, Sacramento, CA (solo)
1935
Dallas Art Museum, Dallas, TX (solo)
1932
Group f.64 Exhibition, M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, CA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA (solo)
1931
M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, CA
1929
Film and Foto Exhibtion, Stuttgart, Germany
Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley, CA
1921
Pictorial Photographic Society Exhibition, California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, CA
1914
Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, Brooklyn, NY (solo)
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Public Collections
The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA
Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklahoma City, OK
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA
Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, WA
Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Canada
Works
1920s, 42x54cm
Agave Design 11920s, 42x54cm
11x14cm
Magnolia Blossom11x14cm
about 1930, 16x20cm
Flowering Cactusabout 1930, 16x20cm
1939, 19x29cm
José Limón, Dancer, Mills College 41939, 19x29cm
1932
Nude1932
1968, 40x50cm
Phoenix Recumbent 1968, 40x50cm
1920s
Water Hyacinth1920s
about 1925, 43x55cm
Two Callasabout 1925, 43x55cm
EXHIBITIONS
The Poetry of of Form
May 17 – Jun 23, 2012
PRESS
Botanical photography, nudes, portraits and industrial landscapes were some of Cunningham’s major photographic themes.
Cunningham grew up in a big family in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington. Cunningham’s interest in photography came early, and in 1901, she sent away $15 for her first camera, commencing what would become one of the longest photographic careers in the history of the medium. Cunningham’s formal training in photography was self-constructed: She enrolled at the University of Washington as a chemistry student because there were no photography classes or photo department.
After graduation, she was a photo assistant at the Edward Curtis studio, where she learned first-hand, the business aspects of running a portrait studio and experienced the technique of platinum printing.
After two years at the Curtis studio, she spent a year in Dresden, Germany finally enabling her to formally study the photographic process with the renowned Dr. Robert Luther at the Technische Hochschule where she became proficient in the technique of platinum printing.
Returning to the United States, Cunningham opened her own photography studio in Seattle and soon became a popular portrait photographer while pursuing her own Pictorialist photographic work with a large format camera. In 1917 Cunningham moved to Northern California where she resided for the rest of her life.
As a professional photographer, Cunningham continued to work as a portrait photographer while creating work for herself and managing gallery relationships, exhibitions of her work, and accepting part-time teaching positions in California. In the 1930s
Cunningham was a member of the California-based Group f/64, whose photographic intent departed from Pictorialism with sharply focused, longer depth of field photographs.
In 1975, Cunningham established the Imogen Cunningham Trust, to create an archive of her work so that it could continue to be available for exhibition, study and sale.
BIOGRAPHY
Exhibitions
2009–2010
Everything Under the Sun: Photographs by Imogen Cunningham, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA (solo)
2003
Natural Inspiration, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (solo)
2002
Imogen Cunningham: Her Family and Friends, Jan Kesner Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (solo)
1999
Imogen Cunningham: Pictorialism - Modernism, Jan Kesner Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (solo)
1998
Imogen Cunningham, Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA (solo)
1994
Imogen Cunningham: Magical Realism, Jan Kesner Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1993
Die Poesie der Form, Fotografie Forum international, Frankfurt, Germany
1991
Imogen Cunningham, Hasselblad Center, Göteborg, Sweden (solo)
1983
The Photographs of Imogen Cunningham: A Centennial Selection, Blaffer Gallery, The Art Museum of the University of Houston, Houston, TX and Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, WA (solo)
Imogen Cunningham: A 75-Year Photographic Survey, Presentation House Gallery, North Vancouver, Canada (solo)
1974
Imogen, Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, WA (solo)
1973
Imogen Cunningham, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY (solo)
Witkin Gallery, New York, NY (solo)
1972
Group f.64 Exhibition, Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley, CA
1970
Witkin Gallery, New York, NY (solo)
1964
Photographs by Imogen Cunningham, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL (solo)
1941
Golden Gate International Exposition, Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA
1936
E. B. Crocker Art Gallery, Sacramento, CA (solo)
1935
Dallas Art Museum, Dallas, TX (solo)
1932
Group f.64 Exhibition, M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, CA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA (solo)
1931
M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, CA
1929
Film and Foto Exhibtion, Stuttgart, Germany
Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley, CA
1921
Pictorial Photographic Society Exhibition, California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, CA
1914
Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, Brooklyn, NY (solo)
+ READ MORE
Public Collections
The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA
Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklahoma City, OK
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA
Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, WA
Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Canada
WORKS
1920s, 42x54cm
Agave Design 11920s, 42x54cm
11x14cm
Magnolia Blossom11x14cm
about 1930, 16x20cm
Flowering Cactusabout 1930, 16x20cm
1939, 19x29cm
José Limón, Dancer, Mills College 41939, 19x29cm
1932
Nude1932
1968, 40x50cm
Phoenix Recumbent 1968, 40x50cm
1920s
Water Hyacinth1920s
about 1925, 43x55cm
Two Callasabout 1925, 43x55cm
EXHIBITIONS
PRESS
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