Step into a world where hues intertwine with the soul of urban existence as The Hulett Collection unveils its newest exhibition, “Louis Stettner: Chromatic Reverie”, beckoning art enthusiasts and aficionados alike to immerse themselves in a visual symphony of metropolitan life. This showcase pays homage to the celebrated lens of Louis Stettner, inviting guests to traverse the vibrant palette of his captivating compositions, where colors dance harmoniously amidst the bustling rhythms of everyday cityscapes.
Louis Stettner only took up color photography, along with painting, in the early 1990’s. He was particularly drawn to the Cibachrome process for its rich colors. The works in this selection were all shot during annual summer visits to New York City, mostly in and around Times Square or in Paris, where he resided at that time in his life. When in New York, Stettner began each day walking the streets. He sought out the less gentrified parts of Times Square, west of Ninth Avenue, where he could still find regular New Yorkers against the backdrop of the city’s architecture, both vernacular and iconic, and in an ever process of change.
From the beginning of his career as a photographer, Stettner was drawn to everyday people and he particularly pursued the subject of people at work. He did this as a point of view and as a political act. Conversely and as a counterpoint, he also often portrayed people at rest, or on their commute home – as in the Penn Station series from 1958 and his initial Subway photographs from 1946. Stettner honed his vision from two traditions, American “street photography” and the French tradition of humanist photography. When, later in life, he turned to color photography, much of his format and mission remained.
Louis Stettner : Chromatic Reverie
December 2, 2023 – January 13, 2024
The Hulett Collection
1311 E 15th St.
Tulsa, OK 74120
www.thehulettcollection.com
