Colorado 1972
(The Divine Light & Strawberry Days Festivals)
Photographs by Arthur Nager
curated by Manuela De Leonardis
Acta International, Roma
May 19 June 9, 2023
opening with the presence of the photographer
Friday, May 19 6:30 | 8:30 pm
Giovanna Pennacchi is pleased to present Colorado 1972 (The Divine Light & Strawberry Days Festivals), the solo show of the American photographer Arthur Nager, curated by Manuela De Leonardis, who is exhibiting his work for the first time in Italy.
This story, or rather these stories take place in the land celebrated by John Denver, Linda Ronstadt and at least ten other country and rock musicians, including the band The Flying Burrito Brothers with their song Colorado. Montrose, summer 1972: in the hot dry desert of Colorado, about a 140 miles from Glenwood Springs (and almost double that from Aurora, a Denver suburb, in the same state crossed by the imperious Rocky Mountains) there takes place an event that will be remembered for a long time. In a shop in Aurora among publicity flyers placed in the window, there is one for the Divine Light Festival. In the photograph taken by Arthur Nager, just behind the clerk, a man with an upturned mustache, is juxtaposed with the imposing head of an embalmed deer, close to a clock hanging on the shop wall. The image reflects the contrast between the cowboy culture celebrated by the conservative residents of traditional Colorado towns that participate in the annual Strawberry Days event and the heirs to the counter culture “hippy movement” – heirs to the values of the beat generation in a psychedelic mix in the name of “peace and love” with its longing for a non conventional spirituality – soon to arrive to celebrate the arrival of Guru Maharaji. It was an opportune moment for Nager who in 1972 was working toward a graduate degree in photography at Visual Studies Workshop under the direction of Nathan Lyons. Having obtained a degree in History and Psychology from the University of Rochester, Nager’s documentary work combined a humanistic concern along with a touch of irony. As an attentive observer of society with an empathetic view, Nager was influenced by noted photographers including Diane Arbus, Gary
Winogrand and Lee Friedlander. All these elements gave imprint to his artistic vision. Working in black and white with a 35mm Nikon, Nager arrived by motorcycle and joined thousands of devotees attending the Divine Light Festival in the rugged Montrose desert. The thirteen year old Guru Maharaji (born in 1957 near Haridwar, India) was considered by his followers to be the “divine incarnation” on earth. His first visit to the US was designed to instruct, educate and motivate his followers to build a global following. On July 27, 1972 Nager began by photographing the arrival of the very young Guru with his Indian entourage amidst a procession of cars with the Guru’s portrait affixed to limousine windows. The subsequent images made over four days and nights document the fervor of his young followers and the unique confluence of western and eastern culture in the biblical landscape. The Guru Maharji’s teachers hold sessions with groups of diverse people sitting on the ground who appear captivated: today the former Guru defines himself “ambassador of peace” under the name of Prem Rawat: author of several best sellers, among which are: Hear Yourself and Peace is Possible. Standing meditation sessions depict devotees of all ages hand in hand as they sing, and pray. As they cook and eat together, a dog sits nearby observing the scene. No one uses drugs, rather it is meditation and yoga that carries them to a different dimension.
In the midst of the gathering a sheriff with a traditional western cowboy hat and star affixed to his chest warily supervises the crowd. The roar of arriving motorbikes is neutralized by the solitary sound of a saxophone played by a musician surrounded by cactus in the isolated desert landscape. Everything seems perfectly normal in this surreal atmosphere. Preparation is in full swing as young people join the gathering from all over the country. The camping area is full of tents, sleeping bags and covers. It’s a small world, where everyone is together. It’s a time capsule which contains many stories, beginning with the place itself: the desert. Arthur Nager takes hundreds of photographs, in an attempt to document the event while capturing the truly bizarre collision of East and West. In a place characterized by the uncontaminated beauty of nature and the landscape, the photographer lingers on the details, on the expendable materials – the tents, the plastic, and the structures which makes up the stage where one reads on a banner “Joy to the world. The Lord has come” – as well as on the faces of the people “illuminated” by the “Young Great Master”. The photographs reflect a view of the event which is truly curious and not judgmental. It is also characteristic of a second group of photographs made during the same time period documenting real life in more urban Colorado towns. In this selection Arthur Nager focuses on Glenwood Springs and the Strawberry Days Festival, a historic event dedicated to the annual harvest of strawberries during the third week of June along with images made in Denver and the surrounding suburbs. Nager’s Strawberry Days photographs provide a very different view of Colorado life in the 70’s. The photographs are reminiscent of the work of Robert Frank whom Nager credits as a major influence. Patriotic crowds line the streets zealously salute the flag. Young men share coffee in a diner surrounded by the display of vintage photographs of the veterans of foreign wars. A cowboy sits astride a cow in traffic as if it’s a commonplace occurrence while people wait on line for amusement park rides. Whether it’s a photograph of a diving competition or a young child on his father’s shoulder looking straight at the camera and winking his nose – Nager is clearly aware of the many acts of the “human comedy” and ready to seize the moment.
(Manuela De Leonardis)
Arthur Nager (Queens, NY, 1949 lives and works between New York City and Fairfield, CT). After taking his diploma in History/Photography at the University of Rochester, NY, he received a MFA in Photography from Visual Studies Workshop at the University of Buffalo, NY where he studied with Nathan Lyons and Syl Labrot. He taught at the Center of the Eye in Aspen, Colorado and the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass, Colorado from 1971––1973. In 1973 Nager became Director of the Photography Program at the University of Bridgeport with the responsibility of developing both a fine art and commercial curriculum. He became a tenured Associate Professor and supervised the expansion of the program and
the establishment of a photography lecture series that brought numerous photographers including Frederick Sommer, Arnold Newman, Ralph Gibson, Roman Vishniac, Lotte Jacobi and Mary Ellen Mark to the University. He received two Research Grants from the University in support of ongoing projects that led to solo exhibitions and was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Grant for study at Columbia University in a program supervised by the noted Art Historian, Theodore Reff. His research focused on the impact of photography on 19th century impressionism and the work of Edgar Degas.
Public collections: International Museum of Photography, George Eastman House; Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History; South Street Seaport Museum, NYC; Kennebunk Museum, Maine; Westport, Art Collection, CT.
Among his recent exhibitions: 2022 — New Color Work, Soleil Gallery, Westport, CT (solo); Rites and Rituals, PhotoPlace Gallery, VT; Art of The Automobile, Carriage Barn Art Center, CT; Photography Juried Exhibit, Rowayton Arts Center, CT; Annual Juried Photography Exhibit, Carriage Barn Art Center, CT; 2021 — Weather, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT; Color, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT; Landscape And Architecture, Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR; Liquid Sky, The Praxis Gallery, MN; In The City, Rowayton Arts Center, CT; Vision: Shadow and Light, Black Box Gallery, OR; Letters, Numbers & Symbols, The Praxis Gallery; 2020 — New York Color, Nylen Gallery, CT; 2018 — Central Park Photographs, Ikon Art Gallery, NYC (solo); The Decisive Moment, The Praxis Gallery, MN; Empty Spaces: Abandoned Places, The Praxis Gallery, MN; Tree Talk, The Griffin Museum of Photography, MA; American Splendor, Ikon Art Gallery, NYC; 2017 — Times Square Photographs, Fahey Bodell Gallery, NYC (solo); 2014 — Street Life, Norwalk Community College (solo). Among his published books: Wrestling Sunnyside Garden Arena, November 27, 1971 (2021), Central Park Photographs (2018), Times Square Photographs (2017).
Colorado 1972 (The Divine Light & Strawberry Days Festivals)
Photographs by Arthur Nager
From May 19 until June 9, 2023
ACTA INTERNATIONAL
Director: Giovanna Pennacchi
Via Panisperna 82–83 –– 00184 Roma | from Wednesday through Saturday 4.00 –7.30 pm
info@actainternational.it | www.actainternational.ita cura di Manuela De Leonardis
Acta International, Roma
19 maggio – 9 giugno, 2023
inaugurazione alla presenza del fotografo
Venerdì 19 maggio ore 18,30-20,30
Giovanna Pennacchi è lieta di presentare la mostra personale Colorado 1972 (The Divine Light & Strawberry Days Festivals) del fotografo americano Arthur Nager, a cura di Manuela De Leonardis, che espone il suo lavoro per la prima volta in Italia.
Questa storia, o meglio queste storie, si svolgono nella terra celebrata da John Denver, Linda Ronstadt e con loro almeno un’altra decina di musicisti country e rock, inclusa la band The Flying Burrito Brothers con la loro canzone Colorado. Montrose, estate 1972: nel caldo secco del deserto del Colorado, ad una distanza di circa 140 miglia da Glenwood Springs (e quasi il doppio da Aurora, nella periferia di Denver, nello stato americano attraversato dalle imponenti Montagne Rocciose) ha luogo un evento di cui a lungo si sarebbe serbato il ricordo. In un negozio di Aurora, tra i flyer pubblicitari appesi alla vetrina, è riconoscibile anche quello del Divine Light Festival. Arthur Nager lo fotografa all’interno dell’ambiente, alle spalle dell’uomo con i baffi all’insù – inquadrato nel primo piano americano – accanto alla testa di un cervo imbalsamato, vicino all’orologio a parete. L’immagine riflette il contrasto tra la cultura “cowboy” celebrata dai residenti più conservatori che partecipano ad eventi come l’annuale Strawberry Days Festival a Glenwood Springs e la comunità hippie, erede dei valori della beat generation in un mix psichedelico all’insegna del messaggio «peace and love» con il suo anelito ad una spiritualità non convenzionale. Attento osservatore della società con uno sguardo empatico, nel 1972 dopo aver studiato fotografia con Nathan Lyons al Visual Studies Workshop, successivamente alla laurea in Storia e Psicologia conseguita all’Università di Rochester, Nathan si trova in Colorado. Nel suo sguardo di fotografo documentario c’è sempre un tocco d’ironia influenzato dalla sua ammirazione per fotografi quali Diane Arbus, Gary Winogrand e Lee Friedlander. Con la Nikon 35mm e la pellicola in bianco e nero, egli arriva in moto e si unisce alle migliaia di devoti radunati per il Divine Light Festival nel deserto vicino Montrose. Per la prima volta il tredicenne guru Maharaji (nato nel 1957 vicino Haridwar, India), considerato un’incarnazione divina sulla terra (oggi si definisce «ambasciatore di pace» e con il nome di Prem Rawat è autore di diversi best seller, tra cui Hear Yourself e Peace is Possible), visitava per la prima volta gli Stati Uniti. Il fotografo appunta la data del 27 luglio, momento culminante dell’arrivo del giovanissimo guru con il suo entourage indiano ed il corteo di automobili che hanno la sua fotografia attaccata ai finestrini. Le sessioni si svolgono in gruppi diversi di persone sedute a terra, intente ad ascoltare i discorsi di Maharaji sul palco. Ci si prende per mano, si canta, si prega, c’è chi cucina, si mangia insieme, un cane osserva la scena. Non si fa uso di droghe, piuttosto sono la meditazione e lo yoga a traghettare verso un’altra dimensione. In mezzo ai personaggi in stile Grateful Dead c’è anche lo sceriffo, con il cappello da cowboy e la stella appuntata sul petto. Il rombo delle motociclette è neutralizzato dal suono solitario di un sax. Tutto sembra perfettamente normale in quell’atmosfera surreale. Anche Nager arriva in moto e si ferma per almeno quattro giorni dormendo in una tenda. Fervono i preparativi: l’arrivo di giovani da diverse parti del paese, l’accampamento improvvisato con le tende canadesi, i sacchi a pelo ed i pullmini. È un piccolo mondo dove tutti stanno insieme. Una capsula del tempo che contiene diverse storie, a partire dal luogo stesso: il deserto. Arthur Nager realizza almeno duecento scatti, ma il suo non è quello che tradizionalmente si definirebbe un reportage di documentazione. Nella giustapposizione di mondo occidentale e orientale, in quel luogo «realmente bizzarro» dominato dalla bellezza incontaminata della natura e del paesaggio, il fotografo si sofferma sui dettagli, sui materiali – le tende, la plastica, le strutture usate per montare il palco dove si legge su uno striscione «Joy to the world. The Lord has come» – non meno che sui volti delle persone «illuminati» dal «grande maestro». Nella narrazione del fotografo si legge una partecipazione autenticamente curiosa e non giudicante. Anche quando l’attenzione di Arthur Nager si sposta verso la «vita reale», in località urbane come Denver, Aurora o Glenwood Springs durante lo Strawberry Days Festival – storico festival dedicato al raccolto delle fragole che dal 1898 si svolge annualmente nella terza settimana di giugno – nell’osservare l’aria di festa con le giostre, l’attesa sul marciapiede, un cowboy a cavalcioni della sua mucca, la gara di tuffi, un momento di relax sulla brandina pieghevole e, magari, un bambino sulle spalle del padre che guarda dritto nell’obiettivo arricciando il naso. Le fotografie di Nager offrono una visione molto diversa dalla tipica vita nel Colorado degli anni Settanta. Sono immagini che ricordano il lavoro di Robert Frank, che ha avuto grande influenza sulla visione di Arthur Nager nel cui sguardo c’è sempre consapevolezza dell’unicità dei tanti atti della «commedia umana» di cui non può che cogliere l’attimo.
(Manuela De Leonardis)
Arthur Nager (Queens, NY, 1949 vive e lavora tra New York City e Fairfield, CT). Dopo essersi laureato in Storia/Fotografia alla University of Rochester, NY, ha ricevuto il master in Fotografia frequentando il Visual Studies Workshop alla University of Buffalo, NY dove ha studiato con Nathan Lyons e Syl Labrot. Dal 1971 al ’73 ha insegnato in Colorado al Center of the Eye di Aspen e al Anderson Ranch Arts Center di Snowmass. Nel 1973 è stato Direttore del Programma di Fotografia alla University of Bridgeport e come Professore Associato ha organizzato lecture invitando importanti fotografi, tra cui Frederick Sommer, Arnold Newman, Ralph Gibson, Roman Vishniac, Lotte Jacobi e Mary Ellen Mark.
Collezioni pubbliche: International Museum of Photography, George Eastman House; Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History; South Street Seaport Museum, NYC; Kennebunk Museum, Maine; Westport, Art Collection, CT.
Tra le mostre recenti: 2022 – New Color Work, Soleil Gallery, Westport, CT (personale); Rites and Rituals, PhotoPlace Gallery, VT; Art of The Automobile, Carriage Barn Art Center, CT; Photography Juried Exhibit, Rowayton Arts Center, CT; Annual Juried Photography Exhibit, Carriage Barn Art Center, CT; 2021 – Weather, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT; Color, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT; Landscape And Architecture, Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR; Liquid Sky, The Praxis Gallery, MN; In The City, Rowayton Arts Center, CT; Vision: Shadow and Light, Black Box Gallery, OR; Letters, Numbers & Symbols, The Praxis Gallery; 2020 – New York Color, Nylen Gallery, CT; 2018 – Central Park Photographs, Ikon Art Gallery, NYC (personale); The Decisive Moment, The Praxis Gallery, MN; Empty Spaces: Abandoned Places, The Praxis Gallery, MN; Tree Talk, The Griffin Museum of Photography, MA; American Splendor, Ikon Art Gallery, NYC; 2017 – Times Square Photographs, Fahey Bodell Gallery, NYC (personale); 2014 – Street Life, Norwalk Community College (personale).
Tra i libri pubblicati: Wrestling Sunnyside Garden Arena, November 27, 1971 (2021), Central Park Photographs (2018), Times Square Photographs (2017).
Dal 19 maggio al 9 giugno 2023
ACTA INTERNATIONAL
direzione: Giovanna Pennacchi
via Panisperna, 82-83 – 00184 Roma
dal mercoledì al sabato ore 16,00 – 19,30
064742005