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John Pfahl , (Feb 17, 1939–April 15, 2020)

Plate 38. Moonrise Over Pie Pan, Capital Reef Nat'l Park,Utah,1977

1981
7 15/16 in. x 10 1/16 in. (20.16 cm x 25.56 cm)

Medium and Support: Dye transfer print

Credit Line: Gift of Edward B. Perlberg

Accession Number: 1984.24.38

Commentary

As a child, John Pfahl spent much time hiking through the woods, documenting his adventures by personalizing maps of the area he was in with drawings and embellishments. Echoes of this childhood pastime can be seen in Altered Landscapes, a series in which he uses colored string, tape, rope, spheres, foil, and other man-made materials to compose landscapes before photographing them. Indifferent to pure and natural landscapes, Pfahl is interested in the relationship of nature and human agency. Denying viewers easy entrance to a scene, he encourages them to understand that landscape is an idea. Painstakingly placing his materials to create a convincing illusion of their belonging, Pfahl plays with our expectations about the truthfulness of photographs and alerts us to ways in which framing and distortion, perspective and point of view influence the way we look at the world.

Exhibition List

This object was included in the following exhibitions:

Contemplating the View: American Landscape Photographs Addison Gallery of American Art , 9/8/2018 - 3/3/2019
Free Association: New Acquisitions in Context Addison Gallery of American Art , 9/1/2023 - 2/11/2024

Related Parent(s) Click a record to view

Altered Landscapes: The Photographs of John Pfahl
1984.24.1-48

Related Siblings(s) Click a record to view

Image of Plate 1. Triangle, Bermuda, 1975

Plate 1. Triangle, Bermuda, 1975
1984.24.1

Image of Plate 10. Blue X, Pembroke, New York, 1975

Plate 10. Blue X, Pembroke, New York, 1975
1984.24.10

Image of Plate 11. Roan Mountain Lightning, Roan Mountain, N.C., 1977

Plate 11. Roan Mountain Lightning, Roan Mountain, N.C., 1977
1984.24.11

Image of Plate 12. Mangrove Swamp Lightning, Matheson Hammock, Florida,1977

Plate 12. Mangrove Swamp Lightning, Matheson Hammock, Florida,1977
1984.24.12

Image of Plate 13. Bamboo Lightning, Penland, North Carolina, 1977

Plate 13. Bamboo Lightning, Penland, North Carolina, 1977
1984.24.13

Image of Plate 14. Snow Creek Lightning, Wing, North Carolina, 1977

Plate 14. Snow Creek Lightning, Wing, North Carolina, 1977
1984.24.14

Image of Plate 15. Aspen Lightning, Frisco, Colorado, 1977

Plate 15. Aspen Lightning, Frisco, Colorado, 1977
1984.24.15

Image of Plate 16. White Lightning, Delle, Utah, 1977

Plate 16. White Lightning, Delle, Utah, 1977
1984.24.16

Plate 17. Volcano Lightning
1984.24.17

Image of Plate 18. Live Oak Lightning, Lompoc, California, 1978

Plate 18. Live Oak Lightning, Lompoc, California, 1978
1984.24.18

Image of Plate 19. Foil Rocks, Lewiston, New York, 1975

Plate 19. Foil Rocks, Lewiston, New York, 1975
1984.24.19

Image of Plate 2. Music 1, Ellicottville, New York, 1974

Plate 2. Music 1, Ellicottville, New York, 1974
1984.24.2

Image of Plate 20. Slanting Forest, Lewiston, New York, 1975

Plate 20. Slanting Forest, Lewiston, New York, 1975
1984.24.20

Image of Plate 21. Australian Pines, Fort DeSoto, Florida, 1977

Plate 21. Australian Pines, Fort DeSoto, Florida, 1977
1984.24.21

Image of Plate 22. Leigh Lake Circle, Grand Teton Nat'l Park, Wyoming, 1977

Plate 22. Leigh Lake Circle, Grand Teton Nat'l Park, Wyoming, 1977
1984.24.22

Image of Plate 23. Six Oranges, Buffalo, New York, 1975

Plate 23. Six Oranges, Buffalo, New York, 1975
1984.24.23

Image of Plate 24. Bagel Pile, South Buffalo, New York, 1976

Plate 24. Bagel Pile, South Buffalo, New York, 1976
1984.24.24

Image of Plate 25. Nine Desert Snowballs, Hell's Half Acre, Wyoming, 1977

Plate 25. Nine Desert Snowballs, Hell's Half Acre, Wyoming, 1977
1984.24.25

Image of Plate 26. Tracks, Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, 1977

Plate 26. Tracks, Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, 1977
1984.24.26

Image of Plate 27. Vertical Highway, Lone Pine, California, 1976

Plate 27. Vertical Highway, Lone Pine, California, 1976
1984.24.27

Image of Plate 28. Mountain Triangle, Death Valley Junction, California,1976

Plate 28. Mountain Triangle, Death Valley Junction, California,1976
1984.24.28

Image of Plate 29. Outlined Borders, Red Rock Canyon, California, 1976

Plate 29. Outlined Borders, Red Rock Canyon, California, 1976
1984.24.29

Image of Plate 3. Shed with Blue Dotted Lines, Penland, North Carolina,1975

Plate 3. Shed with Blue Dotted Lines, Penland, North Carolina,1975
1984.24.3

Image of Plate 30. Blue Grid, Pembroke, New York, 1977

Plate 30. Blue Grid, Pembroke, New York, 1977
1984.24.30

Image of Plate 31. Red Setters in Red Field, Charlotte, North Carolina,1976

Plate 31. Red Setters in Red Field, Charlotte, North Carolina,1976
1984.24.31

Image of Plate 32. Moose and Arrow,Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming,1977

Plate 32. Moose and Arrow,Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming,1977
1984.24.32

Plate 33. Haystack Cove
1984.24.33

Image of Plate 34. Great Salt Lake Angles, Great Salt Lake, Utah, 1977

Plate 34. Great Salt Lake Angles, Great Salt Lake, Utah, 1977
1984.24.34

Image of Plate 35. Monument Valley with Red String,Monument Valley, UT,1977

Plate 35. Monument Valley with Red String,Monument Valley, UT,1977
1984.24.35

Image of Plate 36. Red Rock Repeat, Torrey, Utah, 1977

Plate 36. Red Rock Repeat, Torrey, Utah, 1977
1984.24.36

Image of Plate 37. Big Dipper, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1976

Plate 37. Big Dipper, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1976
1984.24.37

Image of Plate 39. Black Rock Hill with Diagonal Lines,Death Valley,CA,1976

Plate 39. Black Rock Hill with Diagonal Lines,Death Valley,CA,1976
1984.24.39

Image of Plate 4. Pink Rock Rectangle, Lewiston, New York, 1975

Plate 4. Pink Rock Rectangle, Lewiston, New York, 1975
1984.24.4

Image of Plate 40. Canyon Point, Zion Canyon National Park, Utah, 1977

Plate 40. Canyon Point, Zion Canyon National Park, Utah, 1977
1984.24.40

Image of Plate 41. Tree and Mountain Cleft, Boulder, Colorado, 1977

Plate 41. Tree and Mountain Cleft, Boulder, Colorado, 1977
1984.24.41

Image of Plate 42. Coconut Palm Horizon, Kona Coast, Hawaii, 1978

Plate 42. Coconut Palm Horizon, Kona Coast, Hawaii, 1978
1984.24.42

Image of Plate 43. Wave Lave, Lace, Pescadero Beach, California, 1978

Plate 43. Wave Lave, Lace, Pescadero Beach, California, 1978
1984.24.43

Image of Plate 44. Wave Theory I, Puna Coast, Hawaii, 1978

Plate 44. Wave Theory I, Puna Coast, Hawaii, 1978
1984.24.44

Image of Plate 45. Wave Theory II, Puna Coast, Hawaii, 1978

Plate 45. Wave Theory II, Puna Coast, Hawaii, 1978
1984.24.45

Image of Plate 46. Wave Theory III, Puna Coast, Hawaii, 1978

Plate 46. Wave Theory III, Puna Coast, Hawaii, 1978
1984.24.46

Image of Plate 47. Wave Theory IV, Puna Coast, Hawaii, 1978

Plate 47. Wave Theory IV, Puna Coast, Hawaii, 1978
1984.24.47

Image of Plate 48. Wave Theory V, Puna Coast, Hawaii, 1977

Plate 48. Wave Theory V, Puna Coast, Hawaii, 1977
1984.24.48

Image of Plate 5. Red Right Angle, Buffalo, New York, 1975

Plate 5. Red Right Angle, Buffalo, New York, 1975
1984.24.5

Image of Plate 6. Blue Right Angle, Buffalo, New York, 1978

Plate 6. Blue Right Angle, Buffalo, New York, 1978
1984.24.6

Image of Plate 7. Library Projection, Tampa, Florida, 1977

Plate 7. Library Projection, Tampa, Florida, 1977
1984.24.7

Image of Plate 8. Necker Cube, Penland, North Carolina, 1975

Plate 8. Necker Cube, Penland, North Carolina, 1975
1984.24.8

Image of Plate 9. Slanting Orange Lines, Route 17, New York, 1975

Plate 9. Slanting Orange Lines, Route 17, New York, 1975
1984.24.9

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