Paul Edmondson: State of Main
Paul Edmondson: State of Main
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jenn Singer presents Paul Edmondson: State of Main, an online exhibition of new photography by Seattle-based contemporary artist Paul Edmondson.
Paul Edmondson: State of Main documents rural America - its towns, street corners, buildings and farms. As photographer Paul Edmondson drove thousands of miles across country roads, nearly forgotten towns and past abandoned storefronts and farmhouses, the artist captured the enduring beauty and resilience of these often-overlooked communities, while unavoidably highlighting the ironies and tragedies of small-town America.
Edmondson has spent most of his career documenting the American West with his camera, earning him multiple PDN Photo Annual awards. His travels have extended beyond the West Coast since 2020, expanding his body of work and interest in both the beauty and decay of small-town America since the 2016 Presidential election:
‘For the last 25 years I’ve been taking extensive road trips across the American West, searching for desolate locations for my landscape photography work. Most often on these trips I try to avoid driving on major highways and instead choose the smaller, county roads that crisscross the country. As a result of this slower, off-the-beaten-path approach to road travel, I’ve become curious about the towns, street corners, buildings and farms that occupy so much of rural America.
For most of my adult life I've lived in large cities; I've enjoyed the privileges and conveniences of urban living, reliable services and all that comes with it. My interest in small towns grew during early road trips through rural America, where most of these conveniences are almost entirely absent.
After Trump won in 2016, it felt like many of the communities I was passing through started expressing the MAGA ethos in ways that I never could truly understand or grasp. And the visuals relating to American patriotism suddenly seemed politically charged and deeply partisan. But there was also the timeless and sometimes quirky small-town iconography that often caught my eye.
I wanted to see if there was a way to combine these different elements into a cohesive body of work that expressed my own interpretation of today’s small-town America. I was also deeply inspired by Walker Evans, Stephen Shore and many others.”
State of Main is a metaphor for the American dream; for opportunity, independence and patriotism. But it's also a study of hard times, abandoned homes and shuttered stores. It's these dualities that interest Paul Edmondson the most, and how in the end, it’s nature that almost always seems to win.
Visit jennsingergallery.com/mainstreet for access to Paul Edmondson: State of Main or email info@jennsingergallery.com for more information about the artist and his work.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Seattle based photographer Paul Edmondson, known for his minimal landscapes of the American West, is drawn towards the places where humans and the natural environment intersect.
Edmondson was raised in Washington D.C. and studied anthropology at Northern Arizona University. After working as a Forest Service archaeologist in Southeast Alaska, he embarked on a solo sea kayak of the Inside Passage from Ketchikan to Seattle, where he's lived since. Influences include abstract expressionist painters, his mother and the ordinary.
Paul Edmondson has won multiple PDN Photo Annual awards for his photography. His work is held in international corporate and private collections.
ABOUT THE GALLERY
Jenn Singer opened the doors of her jewel box gallery in New York City’s historic Gramercy Park neighborhood in 2015. We have since grown to an expanded, international online-based presence.
We proudly represent a diverse, international program of contemporary artists. Our online gallery provides a selection of available artwork, however we have an expanded selection of work available on request from artists around the world. We also serve as a source for established and blue chip modern and contemporary artists for placement in public & private collections.
Jenn Singer’s artists & exhibitions have been featured in Wallpaper*, Cultured Magazine, Cosmopolitan, VICE - The Creators Project, The Huffington Post, Glamour Spain and Hi-Fructose Magazine, among others.
For additional images / information, please email info@jennsingergallery.com.
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