The 1975 exhibition “New Topographics”, a turning point in the history of photography, signalled a radical shift away from traditional depictions of landscape. Curated by William Jenkins, it featured pictures of transcendent natural vistas that gave way to unromanticized views of stark industrial landscapes, suburban sprawl, and everyday scenes often overlooked.

The exhibition had a ripple effect on the entire medium and genre, with generations of landscape photographers emulating and still emulating the spirit and aesthetics of that exhibition. And, I am one of those photographers!

The images in my “Newer” Topographics” series are an homage to those original ten photographers whose photographs were, as Jenkins said, “stripped of any artistic frills and reduced to an essentially topographic state, conveying substantial amounts of visual information but eschewing entirely the aspects of beauty, emotion and opinion.” 

I do take issue with Jenkins on his thoughts about “eschewing the aspects of beauty, emotion, and opinion.” I think those images were pretty damn beautiful, emotional, and full of things to say, and I hope my images make you feel the same.