Marmon Crankshaft
Upon the exhibition of this photograph in 1924, the New York Times commented that "it would be impossible for the layman to put a name to the piece Outerbridge has chosen, but its strength and obvious usefulness makes a stirring print." The actual object represented, a detail of a car’s crankshaft, is incidental to the photograph’s undeniable power. Throughout the 1920s, Outerbridge elevated banal, everyday objects to a level of startling beauty and formal rigor, thereby sealing his reputation as one of the most influential advertising photographers of his era.
Artwork Details
- Title: Marmon Crankshaft
- Artist: Paul Outerbridge Jr. (American, New York 1896–1959 Laguna Beach, California)
- Date: 1923
- Medium: Platinum print
- Dimensions: 11.7 x 9.2 cm (4 5/8 x 3 5/8 in.)
- Classification: Photographs
- Credit Line: Gift of the artist, 1929
- Object Number: 29.82.8
- Curatorial Department: Photographs
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Paul Outerbridge Jr.
1922
Paul Outerbridge Jr.
ca. 1924
Paul Outerbridge Jr.
1921
Paul Outerbridge Jr.
1921
Paul Outerbridge Jr.
1924
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