Laura Wilson - That Day

For Immediate Release Press Contact: Tom Shinall, TMP Director of Marketing [email protected] 770-387-2833 THAT DAY AT THE BOOTH MUSEUMLaura Wilson: That Day takes an intimate look into the past; opening January 2018CARTERSVILLE, GA – With the exhibition of That Day, renowned photographer Laura Wilson givespatrons a unique view into the American West. Accompanied by journal entries, That Day providesinsight into Wilson’s methods and emotions behind each photograph. The exhibition is comprised of over37-years of work, spanning vast subject matters from West Texas cattle ranches, Plains Indianreservations, and lavish cotillions. Her photographs show a blend of history and tradition melded into avariety of distinct, close knit communities.Wilson’s interest in the American West began as a child living in New England and continued to growwhen she moved to Texas in 1966. She got her start in photography in 1979 when she was hired byphotographer Richard Avedon. Avedon was leaving New York City to photograph the West and neededsomeone who could set up his itineraries. Wilson quickly made herself indispensable. With each newlocation she would find “interesting” faces that showed the wear of living in the West and coax them intoposing in front of Avedon’s eight-by-ten-inch view camera. Over the six years it took for Avedon tocomplete his work, In the American West, Wilson saw a lot of the rural West. She began documenting hertime with Avedon through photography, while establishing the terms for her own art.Avedon’s In the American West did not meet the expectations of photographs of upstanding individualsthat his Texas sponsors had imagined. Instead, he portrayed the humanity ignored by those who livedcomfortably. Over the course of working with Avedon, Wilson embraced a similar passion for revealingthe human condition. However, she broadened this vision, adding her own individuality to it. WhileAvedon arranged his subjects in front of a white backdrop, Wilson chose to portray her subjects in theirworld to highlight her recognition that going alone rarely works in the unforgiving landscape of the West.“I am drawn to people who live in an enclosed world-those people who live in isolated communities,whether by circumstance or accomplishment; I was curious about these groups and wanted to knowmore,” said Wilson. “I don’t mean to say one way of life is better than another but merely to say that mywish, as Eudora Welty wrote, ‘would be not to point the finger in judgement but to part a curtain, thatinvisible shadow that falls between people, the veil of indifference to each other’s presence, each other’swonder, each other’s human plight.’” MORE

Laura Wilson, page 2Wilson’s images are often outdoors to show the connection of the “sitter” with the land. She documentsthe day-to-day chores of both men and women. As a mother to three sons – Andrew, Owen and Luke –she pays close attention to children, capturing the performance of chores, playing games and sitting inquiet contemplation.Wilson realizes that the West’s expansive spaciousness allows for a wide range of cultures and opinionsto coexist. Through her photography she offers up chance encounters; fragments of people’s lives. Hergoal is not to explain each photograph but to capture the immediacy of the moment. Her goal is not tojudge but acknowledge the lives and cultures of her subjects.Laura Wilson’s work has appeared in several publications, including The New York Times Magazine, TheNew Yorker, and The Washington Post Magazine. She has authored five books – Hutterites of Montana(Yale University Press, 2000), Watt Matthews of Lambshead (Texas Historical Association, 1989),Avedon at Work (Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center/University of Texas Press, 2003), Grit andGlory (Bright Sky Press, 2003), and That Day: Pictures in the American West (The Clements Center atSMU with Yale University Press, 2015). Wilson is currently working on two projects, one documentingpreeminent writers in the United States and abroad – men and women who will have a lasting literarylegacy; and the second documents Hollywood directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, and actorsbehind the scenes.Booth Museum Members are invited to attend the exhibition opening and be among the first to viewLaura Wilson: That Day on Saturday, January 20, 2018. Laura Wilson and Mary Margaret Cornwell,Booth Museum’s Curator of Photography, will conduct a gallery walk at 4:30 pm in the Special ExhibitionGallery. A Meet the Artist Reception with refreshments will be served in the Atrium beginning at 5:30 pm.At 7:00 pm in Berman Theatre, Wilson discuss her journey through this project and upcoming interests.For additional information on the exhibition and activities surrounding Laura Wilson at Booth Museum,contact Director of Marketing Tom Shinall, (770) 387-2833 or [email protected]. Laura Wilson:That Day, January 20 – April 29, 2018 in the Special Exhibition Gallery at Booth Western Art Museum,Cartersville, GA.About Booth Western Art MuseumBooth Western Art Museum, an Affiliate to the Smithsonian Institution, is a 120,000 square foot museumlocated in Cartersville, Georgia, where guests are invited to See America’s Story through contemporary MORE

Laura Wilson, page 3Western artwork, a Presidential Gallery, Civil War art gallery, and Sagebrush Ranch, an interactivechildren’s gallery. Open since August 2003, Booth Museum is the only museum of its kind in theSoutheast and was named the 2016 Escape to the Southeast Travel Attraction of the Year from theSoutheast Tourism Society. To learn more about Booth Western Art Museum, visitwww.boothmuseum.org.Museum DirectionsBooth Western Art Museum is located at 501 N. Museum Drive, Cartersville, GA 30120. Take I-75 to exit#288 – Main Street, Cartersville. Head West. Follow Main Street (Highway #113 / #61) into the businessdistrict – approximately 2.2 miles. Turn right on Gilmer Street, travel two blocks under the bridge and theMuseum is on the left. Free parking is available in the Tabernacle Baptist Church parking lot on GilmerStreet, across from the Museum entrance.Museum HoursTuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Thursday: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm.Sunday: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Closed Mondays, New Year’s Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.AdmissionAdult: $12 plus tax; Senior (65+): $10 plus tax; Student (with ID): $9 plus tax; Child (12 and under): Free(accompanied by parent or guardian); Active Military Personnel (with ID): Free (½ price regular admissionfor all immediate family members of the active duty person); Booth Museum Members: Free; FirstThursday of each month: Free admission for all between 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm. ###