Signs of Life June 4, 2010

This exhibition is the first in-depth presentation of the photographs of Peter Sekaer (American, born Denmark, 1901–1950), a Danish-born artist who made a vivid photographic record of Depression-era America. While Sekaer's well-respected photographs were occasionally exhibited during his lifetime, he slipped into obscurity after his premature death in 1950.

The High Museum recently acquired a trove of more than seventy rare vintage prints by Sekaer, the largest holding of its kind in any American art museum. Many of these works have never been on public view. This exhibition shows the range of Sekaer's production and the unique place that he occupies in the constellation of twentieth-century American photography.

Sekaer's photographs show an outsider's objectivity and detachment coupled with an insider's commitment and concern for the subject. His stance was that of an artist/anthropologist who with frank insight and humanity delighted in recording the artifacts and gestures that defined American culture. His photographs are represented in the collections of major museums in both the United States and Denmark.

Official Website: http://www.high.org/main.taf?p=4,3,2&eventId=594&eventTypeId=1