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DISCOVER THE BEAUTY OF THE SOUTH

Photographer William Christenberry Tells A Story and Breathes New Life Into Southern Icons

 

Acclaimed southern novelist Walker Percy aptly described the work of renowned photographer William Christenberry as “a poetic evocation of a haunted countryside.” Christenberry’s depictions of rural buildings beautifully capture the essence of the South, evoking nostalgia among those familiar with similar images in their own hometowns. He has artistically documented the decay of these dilapidated structures in their environments, often times making the surroundings more important than the buildings themselves.

William Christenberry  (American, 1936) 5¢ Wall with Johnson Grass, Demopolis, Alabama (detail), 1980 Photo Courtesy of Hemphill Fine Arts  © William Christenberry

As an accomplished sculptor and painter, Christenberry was instantly drawn to photography in 1959 when he stumbled upon the photographs of Walker Evans in James Agee’s book, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. Christenberry, a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, found Evans’ images to be inspiring, so he decided to embark on his own photographic journey, starting in the place where he enjoyed the majority of his childhood years, Hale County, Alabama. Since 1968, Christenberry has lived in Washington, DC, returning home to Alabama during the summer where he photographs.

Christenberry began making photographs using a Kodak Brownie camera and used these images as color references for his paintings of the Alabama landscape. In 1977, he started using an eight-by-ten-inch view camera and has since then used it almost exclusively. He is particularly attracted to the simple forms of vernacular architecture and the relationship with the landscape they inhabit. He chronicles the effects of time, humans, and nature on a vanishing southern vernacular architecture found in houses, warehouses, churches, general stores, and juke joints. Christenberry’s honors include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts (1976) and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (1984); a Lyndhurst Foundation prize (1982); and an honorary doctorate of arts from the Kansas City Art Institute (1983). Since 1968, he has taught painting and drawing at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC,
receiving numerous awards for his contributions as an educator.

Photographer William Christenberry gives audiences a unique look through his lens, unveiling a brilliant collection of southern photography through his exhibition opening Sunday, July 15, 2007 at 1 p.m.  Christenberry will also kick off the Norfolk Society of Arts’ annual lecture series with a special guest appearance on Wednesday, September 26, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. to discuss his career and “southern views.”

For general information, please call (757) 664-6200. For media information, please contact the Public Relations Department at (757) 333-6295 or publicrelations@chrysler.org.