Barbara Crane: Private Views

Barbara Crane: Private Views at Stephen Wirtz Gallery. "...In the early 1980’s, Crane created a series of Polaroid photographs shot during the Chicago summer festivals. She focused on close-ups capturing the details of clothing, hairstyles, and most specifically, gesture. Through her lens, the viewer witnesses a tightly-cropped inventory of private gestures performed in very public spaces and experiences the energy of the crowd.
'I have treasured these pictures for their depiction of universal experiences, yet they are also a record of a specific moment in time as communicated via the unique – and now, sadly obsolete – photographic medium of the Polaroid. These images were shot during the heat of summer days, very close to the subjects, as I struggled to carry a hand-held 4 by 5 Super Graphic 45 camera, boxes of Polaroid sheet film, and a Polaroid film back. These photographs are truly labors of love.' Barbara Crane, October 2008."