exhibitions
Field Work
Artists
- Horace Bristol
- Louis Hock
- Dorothea Lange
- Roger Minick
- Paul Turounet
Special Events
Friday, April 13, 2007
Lecture by Louis Hock
Reception for the Artists
About the Exhibition
Field Work: Documenting California's Migrant Farm Labor Experience 1935 to 2003 examines the continuing role of migrant agricultural workers. The five artists represented in the exhibition have recorded and interpreted the labor and living conditions of this vital work force throughout California, from the Sacramento to the Imperial Valleys. Through their potent images, ranging from portraits of Dust Bowl refugees to depictions of contemporary undocumented workers, the ongoing and complex story of migrant farm laborers and their families unfolds. The exhibition begins with a suite of thirty-seven photographs made in 1937-1938 by Horace Bristol (1908-1997) and collectively titled "The Grapes of Wrath Portfolio." Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) is represented by twenty-six photographs created between 1935 and 1940, including her famed image of the "Migrant Mother." The exhibition continues with works by Bay Area photographer Roger Minick (b. 1944), who will present two series of images from the 1960s and 1970s that capture farm workers and the landscape in which they toil. San Diego artist Paul Turounet (b. 1962) will include works from his 1989 series "Los Vendimiadores" (The Grapepickers), photographed in the vineyards of Healdsburg, California. The exhibition culminates with an installation of sculpture and photographs from 2001-2006 by San Diego artist Louis Hock (b. 1948).
Field Work: Documenting California's Migrant Farm Labor Experience 1935 to 2003 is organized and curated by Tina Yapelli, director of the University Art Gallery at San Diego State University. The exhibition is presented in conjunction with "An Enduring Voice for California: A Celebration of John Steinbeck," coordinated by Dr. Elsie Begler, College of Arts and Letters, in collaboration with the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts. The exhibition includes "A Journey Shared: Photographs by Horace Bristol," an exhibition organized by the National Steinbeck Center, Salinas, California.
Field Work is sponsored by a grant from the James Hervey Johnson Charitable Trust, College of Arts and Letters. Additional funding is provided by the School of Art, Design and Art History; the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts; and the fund for Instructionally Related Activities. Further support is provided by the San Diego State University Art Council. "A Journey Shared: Photographs by Horace Bristol" is made possible by grants from the California Council for the Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Monterey County Overall Economic Development Commission. Additional support is provided by the members and trustees of the National Steinbeck Center and its Valley of the World Agricultural Exhibition sponsors.