%C2%A9 1993 John Snyder
Niagara Falls, 1993
John Snyderexpand_more
Oil and glitter on paperexpand_more
Gift of Donald McNeil and Emily Galusha in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Minneapolis Institute of Artexpand_more 2015.64.2
Not on Viewexpand_more
John Snyder’s bird’s-eye view of a moonlit Niagara Falls is at once familiar and eerily enigmatic. Painted from memory in a limited color range of blacks, grays, and whites, the river landscape is devoid of manmade structures and human activity, as if the scene visualized the primordial ancestor of today’s falls. Snyder’s painting functions much like a religious icon, but instead of a holy entity, it features the venerated scenic wonder familiar to generations of tourists and newlyweds. Drawing on the visual language of folk art, Snyder formulated his landscape in a boldly graphic style that simplifies form and distorts pictorial perspective. This visual treatment, together with the landscape’s kitschy glitter border, further emphasizes its emblematic function as a traveler's momento.
Details
- Title
- Niagara Falls
- Artist Life
- born 1956
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2015.64.2
- Provenance
- The artist, Minneapolis; [Bockley Gallery, Minneapolis, sold in 1995 to McNeil]; Donald McNeil and Emily Galusha, Minneapolis, 1995 -2015; given to MIA, 2015.
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
© 1993 John Snyder