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[Joel D. Levinson photographs from his Still Life, Mass-Media and After Eden series].
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Collection Overview
Title:
[Joel D. Levinson photographs from his Still Life, Mass-Media and After Eden series]Creator/Contributor:
Levinson, Joel D., creator, photographer.Abstract:
Still Life and Mass Media series (ffALB box): fine art photographs, some with autobiographical references, others pertaining
to imagery found in such media sources as newspaper and television. After Eden series (fffALB box): nudism in the Englisher
Garten (English Gardens) park of Munich, Germany.
Date:
1976 (issued)Contents:
Still life series: Boots -- Bulletin board -- Comics -- Completed pass -- Covers -- Descending images -- Desk in bondage --
Dying documents -- Encyclopedia -- Morning in a new home -- Oval -- Personal room -- Pre-version -- Unlocking drawer -- Used
tennis socks -- Waxed car -- Mass-media series: Black and white -- Black power, white shoulders -- Drawing the line -- Ellipsis
-- Gesticulations -- In vogue -- Low cut pumps -- Precipation -- Residuals -- Reticulum -- Sectional I -- Sectional II --
Smiles in single file -- Stormy Monday -- Tempestuous Tuesday.
Subject:
Mass mediaNudism -- Germany -- Munich -- Photographs
Médias
Nudisme -- Allemagne -- Munich -- Photographies
mass media
Nudism
Mass media
Englischer Garten (Munich, Germany) -- Photographs
Germany -- Munich -- Englischer Garten
Germany -- Munich
Note:
Title devised by cataloger.
Prints contained in custom clamshell box, as received.
Printed label adhered to side of ffALB box (Still Life and Mass-Media): "Museum edition: early vintage black & white silver
prints, "Mass media" series - sixteen 11 x 14 photographs (1979-1984) & "Still life" series - sixteen 11 x 14 photographs
(1976-1979) c Joel D. Levinson 1976-1984".
Backs of most mounts (Still Life and Mass-Media series) are captioned, dated and signed by photographer. Most mounts also
include typescript series labels and photographer's address label: Joel D. Levinson, 8352 Kent Drive, El Cerrito, Ca. 94530.
Notes on accompanying printed inserts in Still Life and Mass-Media series (ffALB box): 1. "The photographs contained in the
two enclosed museum edition series represent the earliest vintage photographs, most were made the year of their inception
and is the only set of these prints that has listed the month as well as the year with labels (for many of the images) on
the back of the 14 x 17 rag board." 2. "All this work was created while Joel D. Levinson lived in the Bay Area from 1973-1987."
3. "The Self Indulgence Series encompassed both the Mass-Media and Still-Life series. As both series expanded the two series
were separated. Still Life images such as Bulletin Board, Encyclopedia, Comics, Descending Images and Completed Pass have
direct Mass Media reference, while their more personal meaning classified them into the Still Life series."
On After Eden series: "When Eve offered Adam the apple (symbolically) it appears to have produced only one by product, shame.
Shame of being naked, shame of enjoying one's body and its functions, shame of enjoying one's sexuality. Discovering a sanctioned
public forum that allows nudity, that is also almost completely void of exhibitionism, titillation and voyeurism led me to
the following conclusion: The only thing to be afraid of in the English Garden is shame itself. From the years of 1983-1998,
I made eleven trips to Germany spending approximately a month during each visit in Munich photographing the English Garden.
Making friends and socializing with many of the people I met there, I developed their confidence and trust, which allowed
me to create the photographs in the After Eden series." -- from photographer's correspondence with Library.
Per photographer's website, the Mass-Media series was later given the title Black Market.
Both boxes include separate printed inserts listing titles of images in each series.
Note on printed title inserts for Still life and Mass-Media series: "All black and white photographs are vintage silver prints,
printed on Portiga Rapid III matt paper selenium toned and printed by Joel D. Levinson." After Eden series includes vintage
C prints and digital color prints.
All images in After Eden series are untitled.
RESTRICTED: Requests for use of original must be approved by the appropriate curator.
Gift of Mark A., Annette and Elizabeth Levinson ; 2016.
Additions (After Eden): Gift of Mark A., Annette and Elizabeth Levinson ; 2021.
CD-R disc containing reproductions of the Still Life and Mass Media series transferred to the Digital Collections Unit of
The Bancroft Library.
Joel D. Levinson photographs from his Still Life, Mass-Media and After Eden series, BANC PIC 2016.105, The Bancroft Library,
University of California, Berkeley.
Type:
graphicPhotographs.
Photography, Artistic.
Still lifes.
Physical Description:
photoprint
52 photographs in 2 boxes : gelatin silver prints and color prints, some on museum board mounts ; prints 51 x 61 cm or smaller,
mounts 36 x 43 cm (14 x 17 format)
Language:
English
Origin:
CaliforniaCopyright Note:
RESTRICTED: Requests for use of original must be approved by the appropriate curator.