As part of class field trip for a digital photography class I’m taking at Hampshire i went to see an exhibit at UMASS called Of People and Places. The show includes works from several internationally renowned photographers including Joel Sternfield and Rineke Dijkstra. In a nutshell the show deals with the presence of or the impression left by the human body in a landscape. Each artist is given their own space in the gallery and as far as i understand it was allowed to display them however they wanted. So, in some cases the photos are plastered onto the wall or presented in sets that follow a narrative or span two or three walls.I especially liked the work of Joel Sternfield which included photos taken essentially in Amherst’s backyard throughout the seasons.These photos were in a large scale to convey the grandness of the landscape. I also enjoyed UK artist Clare Richardson’s photos taken in Transylvania of a fairytale like landscape complete with farmer’s daughters, rolling hills and haystacks all in incredibly warm yellow tones. Rineke Dijkstra’s photos are usually immediately recognizable but i hadn’t seen her photos that are exhibited at UMASS on any other occasion. I prefer her beach portraits but anyway–check out the exhibit if you get a chance. The university gallery is located just to the right of the Fine Arts Center/Haigis Mall bus stop. The exhibit will be up until December 14th.

Rineke Dijkstra

Clare Richardson

Joel Sternfield