For my project I will be focusing on Lee Friedlander’s work called “America by Car”. Friedlander was born in the 1930s in Washington. He is considered one of the greats of his time, with good reason. This prolific career was sparked at age 14, when Friedlander picked up a camera for the first time. What started as a hobby to turn a quick dollar quickly became a passion. Friedlander went on to study at Art Center School  in Los Angeles for two years before pursuing a solo career as a free lance photographer. The first stop in his career was a job at Atlantic Records, taking photographs of famous artists such as Duke Ellington. As time went on, he became a critical piece of the “snapshot aesthetic” movement in street photography. His first solo exhibition occurred in 1963 at the George Eastman House. This surely added to his credibility, given that only 4 years later he was included at the MOMA as part of the “New Documents” exhibition. In his career, he’s been recognized with acknowledgements such as the Hasselblad Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and MacArthur Fellowship.

His work America by Car was constructed to give a certain perspective of how he saw America through the lens of a “foreign” Jew. Critics say the beauty lies in the use of the quintessential icons of America. The photobook boasts spectacular shots of landscapes taken from aesthetic rental cars, often using the mirrors as an addition to the camera’s view, as well as using the physical components of the dashboard and windows. He made sure that the physical parts of the car were included in each photograph to amplify the feeling of being a traveler. Friedlander never felt like he had to force photographs for his works, and this is especially noticeable in America By Car. His quote “The world makes up my pictures, not me”  encapsulates his style verbatim. Thus, for this specific work, he decided to hit the open road to capture the icons that were already out there waiting for him. His idea for the photobook was to take pictures of what he considered American Iconography from the perspective of a Jewish man in America.

sources: 

https://www.haberarts.com/friedlan.htm

https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/constituents/lee-friedlander?all/all/all/all/0

15 Quotes By Photographer Lee Friedlander

Friedlander’s process for taking the pictures was determined by the areas he visited during his treks around the United States. There seems to be a lack of people in most of the photographs. The photographs almost give off an eerie feeling of emptiness and loneliness. The photos are taken from inside the car, sometimes taken from different seats in the car. A major focus of the photography is the use of mirrors for reflecting the surrounding terrain. He seems to take pictures of what seem like classic American sights during a road trip. For example, large posters or signs for bars or restaurants. Another example is a truck he saw while driving that had “Hot Babes Direct to You” on it’s rear. It’s almost like shining like on iconic American absurdity. None of them seem staged. They actually mostly seem like he saw something that caught his eye and he took a quick picture and kept moving. To replicate his style, I took photographs of trademark Ann Arbor sights, from the perspective of the front seat of a car. I wanted my work to be a showcase of quintessential icons of Ann Arbor. I included shots of large signs and large buildings of the town similar to how Friedlander included them. I tried to capture a shot of all the iconic sites that envelope the culture and atmosphere of Ann Arbor as a whole. The inclusion of Michigan flags, both hung up on houses and standing proudly in front of our massive sports stadiums. The inclusion of large signs such as the “Beer Depot” photo and both of the Michigan movie theaters near State Street. I decided to use the rear view mirror to take a picture of cars parked in a perfect line in front of one of the campus’ most iconic buildings: Ross School of Business Building. My focus was to take photographs of Ann Arbor iconography from the perspective of a Latin American; a non-native to the city. 

(left: Lee Friedlander, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2007; right: Lee Friedlander, Montana, 2008)

Completing my journey through the city felt like I was grasping some of what Friedlander’s work was portraying. I was able to choose shots that felt right to me, the same way he did. It wasn’t like I forced a photograph by any means. It was all there waiting for me. I decided to make a commentary of my own through my camera lens. Instead of my work being a commentary about suburban and American culture, they instead were a subtle commentary about Ann Arbor culture and the culture of the University. The campus boasts incredibly unique architectural designs for its buildings. It also contains lots of iconography of the school. A Michigan “M” can be found on almost every corner of the city. The small roads make the streets feel cramped. The large signs for liquor stores and bars were subtly spotted around Ann Arbor. There were also some shots I was able to take that included vast amounts of sky and clouds. As a person having grown up in a busy city, I can appreciate a place that isn’t completely blocked off from the natural beauty of its natural landscape. 

My perspective on this photographer and his work has shifted in some way. I feel as though I can slightly relate with why he decided to jump in the car to make this visual commentary. He is American, having been born in Washington. However, his roots were European and most importantly, Jewish. This culture in him may have made him felt slightly disconnected from a country he considered his own. I understand this feeling. This is why I still agree that his reason for developing America By Car was to portray what he believed was quintessential American iconography from the perspective of someone slightly outside the common circle of the country: A Jewish man. The only thing that my mind has swayed on is the intention for some of the photographs. I believe some of them were chosen to show the pieces of America he may not identify with. 

Interestingly enough my interpretation on the 20th century as a student of photography in the 21st century has not been changed after my work. This photobook was developed in the 21st century and was published in 2010. It actually reintroduces me with the America I grew up learning about as a child through different forms of media. An America where everything big and loud is ubiquitous, where smart phones don’t steal the entirety of our attention. Hopefully my work will produce a similar feeling in another student, another ten years down the line. Only time will tell. 

https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/constituents/lee-friedlander?all/all/all/all/0

https://www.haberarts.com/friedlan.htm

https://www.artnet.com/artists/lee-friedlander/

https://jamesmaherphotography.com/street_photography/lee-friedlander/

https://www.luhringaugustine.com/artists/lee-friedlander