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American Legion, Monroe, Michigan

A work made of gelatin silver print.

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  • A work made of gelatin silver print.

Date:

1972

Artist:

Lynne Cohen
Canadian, 1944-2014

About this artwork

For more than four decades, photographer Lynne Cohen drew attention to the standardization of the communal spaces in which people conduct their day-to-day lives. Systematically shooting found environments with an 8 × 10–inch camera, Cohen utilized a high level of detail to emphasize the sterile designs of these modern environments, in which efforts at personalization often seem futile. In this early photograph, Cohen focused her camera on the American Legion, a US veteran’s service group. Sequences of generic portraits and tightly stacked folding chairs allude to the room’s missing inhabitants. Highlighting the order and rigidity embedded in modern spaces, Cohen implicitly connects the nature of these environments to society at large.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Photography and Media

Artist

Lynne Cohen

Title

American Legion, Monroe, Michigan

Place

Canada (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1972

Medium

Gelatin silver print

Dimensions

Image/paper: 11.6 × 16.8 cm (4 5/8 × 6 5/8 in.); Mount: 38 × 35.5 cm (15 × 14 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Lynne Cohen

Reference Number

1972.1065

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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