Left: Anonymous, Close up of eye, ca. 1940s. Commercially processed gelatin silver print. Gift of Peter J. Cohen, 2015.22.3
Right: Emmet Gowin (American, b. 1941), Ireland, 1972. Toned gelatin silver print. Collection of Emmet and Edith Gowin
In 1967, Gowin experimentally outfitted his 8x10-inch camera with a lens intended for a 4x5. The first time he saw the result, he recalled with surprise that every lens casts a round image, which a conventional camera’s design trims square before one sees it. The circular format of Gowin’s images can conjure associations with keyholes, telescopes, and the eye itself.
Among Gowin’s early inspirations were amateur photographs in the family albums of friends. He cherishes “the freshness and the blatant honesty” of snapshots, which retain their mysteries even for viewers deeply educated about art.