Three women stand in an empty road. One gazes ahead, watching the winding concrete disappear over the horizon. Along the way, it splits into smaller paths leading to lavish houses. Lawns look pristine, even the smallest shrub is flawlessly shaped. The image seems perfect, like an advert or postcard, but the title of Joel Sternfeld’s (b. 1944) photograph reveals another story. Domestic Workers Waiting for the Bus, Atlanta, Georgia (1983) tells us that the people in the scene are detached from this world of luxury.
The picture comes from Sternfeld’s seminal series, American Prospects (1978-1986). It is the result of eight years spent documenting people and places across the USA. Panoramic shots show suburban streets, overcrowded theme parks and expanses of wild desert. Today, these images offer glimpses into the recent past whilst subtly highlighting pervasive social inequalities. He told the Guardian: “the great underlying theme of my work is the utopian vision of America contrasted with the dystopian one.”
Sternfeld is a key figure of the 1970s New Colour Photography movement, which brought creative merit to a style previously only associated with advertising and fashion. There’s a cheery and whimsical quality to his landscapes, achieved by deviating from the norm of black and white fine-art photography. Sternfeld’s attentive eye continues to inspire contemporaries such as Gregory Crewdson and Julie Blackmon. His images remind us to dig deeper and ask ourselves: can a single snapshots conceal as much as it reveals?
The Albertina Museum, Joel Sternfeld: American Prospects | Until 21 April
Words: Diana Bestwish Tetteh
Image Credits:
- Joel Sternfeld, Domestic Workers Waiting for the Bus, Atlanta, Georgia, aus der Serie: American Prospects, April 1983 Pigment Print Albertina, Wien – Schenkung Joel Sternfeld © Joel Sternfeld.
- Joel Sternfeld, Wet ‘n Wild Aquatic Theme Park, Orlando, Florida aus der Serie: American Prospects, September 1980 Pigment Print Albertina, Wien – Schenkung Joel Sternfeld © Joel Sternfeld.
- Joel Sternfeld, The Space Shuttle Columbia lands at Kelly Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas, aus der Serie: American Prospects, March 1979 Pigment Print Albertina, Wien – Schenkung Joel Sternfeld © Joel Sternfeld.
