David Levinthal

Lone Ranger

2014

David Levinthal is a central figure in American postmodern photography. Since 1972, he has photographed dolls and toys in settings that force us to question their apparent innocence....

DAVID LEVTINTHAL was born in San Francisco and received his MFA in Photography from Yale University. He has had numerous solo and group exhibitions at institutions including the Whit...

DAVID LEVTINTHAL was born in San Francisco and received his MFA in Photography from Yale University. He has had numerous solo and group exhibitions at institutions including the Whit...

Archival pigment print. David Levinthal is a central figure in American postmodern photography. Since 1972, he has photographed dolls and toys in settings that force us to question their apparent innocence. The images are inspired by the romance and grandeur of 1950’s Western television and film. In composing the photographs, Levinthal arranges figurines into stereotypical poses to portray the rugged individualism of the Western hero. The blurred photographs, rich in color, use the iconic toy figurines...

David Levinthal Title: Untitled Edition: 2/5 Hand signed, numbered and dated in ink on recto Date: 1997 Original Polaroid Large Format Print (Photo-Internal dye diffusion transfer) Location: Cambridge Massachusetts United States Dimensions: Image: 28 X 22 in. Framed: 36 X 30 inches This depicts a still life of African American Blackface iron toys from his provocative, controversial photo series. This body of work is drawn from David Levinthal’s project Blackface, dating from 1995-1998, it featured blackface Polaroids of his original memorabilia, drawn from the artist’s African American Americana personal collection, that are the Polaroid’s subject matter. Levinthal’s collection of black memorabilia evolved into Blackface, a stimulating and controversial body of work. The title, according to Levinthal, “makes reference to the many facades, poise and physicality of these figures.” The title is also taken from the name of a journal of a black film-making company and is a term referring to both blacks and whites. Traditionally associated with minstrel, these images were used to perpetuate negative stereotypes. Levinthal’s work was originally intended to be exhibited at Philadelphia’s ICA in 1997. However, the show was cancelled when it became a cause célèbre as a result of its controversial subject-matter. Subsequently, images from the series were exhibited at the International Center of Photography and at Janet Borden, Inc. in New York. Levinthal’s initial inspiration for Blackface was D.W.Griffith’s 1915 film “Birth of a Nation,” a groundbreaking film of its time and a watershed moment in the cultural wars. It’s extreme and racist depictions of African Americans fueled a debate over the efficacy and motivation of using racially charged images that continues to reverberate in our culture today. Levinthal’s Blackface was originally intended to be a series based on “Birth of a Nation,” but the focus of the work shifted to the inscription of racially charged identities – what these collectibles convey, how they function within society, and how they continue to polarize social attitudes – within material objects produced and packaged as consumer goods. Levinthal works using a 20 x 24 inch Polaroid Polacolor ER Land Film which results in a large format Polaroid...

Vintage darkroom Cowboy photograph circa late 1980s: A superbly rendered vintage darkroom photograph, surrealistically exploring the mythology of the American cowboy set amidst blazing skies. Cibachrome (darkroom print) circa 1989. Bright, lush colors. Paper size: 11 X9 inches. Image: Approximately: 8x10 inches. Very good overall vintage condition. Unsigned from an edition of unknown from unknown photographer. Related Categories: Landscape photography. Cowboys. Richard Prince Cowboys...

Ghost Rider Cowboy (Cyan), pop art photograph by Natasha Heidler. Natasha Heidler’s seductive images are a playful collection of contradictions. Ghostly outlines collide with vibran...

Ghost Rider Cowboy (Cyan), pop art photograph by Natasha Heidler. Natasha Heidler’s seductive images are a playful collection of contradictions. Ghostly outlines collide with vibran...