Marshall Gallery presents a special exhibition in partnership with Bruce Kapson Gallery to present an extraordinary collection of works by the photographer Edward S. Curtis.
For the first time, the exhibition brings together two previously unpublished private collections of two very distinct but complementary vintage Curtis photographic series. The works are renowned for their brilliance, luminosity and unprecedented three-dimensional quality. The exhibition features a group of 16 vintage Goldtones, including 14 from the prestigious Kale Family Collection, representing the world’s largest assortment of Goldtones available for acquisition. Among these is a recently discovered and previously unknown 1914 gilt print of Curtis with his family on an outing during the filming of In The Land Of The Head Hunters on Vancouver Island. The extraordinary rarity of this piece elevates it to the rank of the most important orotone ever to appear on the market. The print is reproduced in the recently published extensive monograph, “Edward S. Curtis, Printing the Legends: Looking at Shadows in a West Lit Only by Fire” (2024) by Dr. Larry Len Peterson.
This exceptional collection of gold tones is complemented by 10 original and exquisite copper photogravure printing plates from the private collection of gallerist Bruce Kapson. Each plate is a unique work and a primary document of one of the most important publishing ventures of the 20th century, Curtis’s magnum opus, The North American Indian. They are the original Source for every vintage Curtis photogravure in existence. Light reflected from the etched copper plates adds a three-dimensional quality to the images, presented in their original copper and ink state. All are emblematic, are in perfect condition and are among the very last copper plates remaining outside of institutional or private collections.
Edward Sheriff Curtis (born in 1868 and died in 1952) is one of the most important photographers of the 20th century and is a leading figure in photography representing the American West. His work stands out as an incredible artistic creation as well as an important historical document about indigenous peoples and their diverse cultures. For more than three decades, from 1898 to 1930, Curtis produced images of more than 80 tribes from the deserts of southern California to the Arctic, which not only demonstrate traditional ways of life, but also convey a dignity , a universal humanity and majesty that eclipses all works produced representing Native Americans of the time.
He was the first photographer to involve Native Americans as active participants and collaborators in the creation of their image, dedicating his life to the preservation of their cultural traditions and languages. Using his talent and knowledge of artistic developments in photography, Curtis depicted Native Americans with a mastery of painterly style and technique that is rivaled only by the most elegant prints of Edward Steichen and Alfred Stieglitz. In his photographs we see unique images that transcend the world of photography.
Reception and conversation about the legacy of Curtis’ work between Douglas Marshall, Bruce Kapson and collector Dan Solomon will take place on May 11.
Edward S. Curtis: A Legacy of Light
May 4 – June 15, 2024
Marshall Gallery
at Bergamot Station Arts Center
2525 Michigan Avenue, #A6
Santa Monica, California 90404
310-413-3987
www.marshallgallery.art
