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Holy Holy

Artist David Benjamin Sherry (American, born 1981)

CultureAmerican

Date2011

MediumChromogenic print

Dimensions94 1/2 × 72 in. (240 × 182.9 cm)

PortfolioEdition of three, plus two AP

Credit LineMuseum purchase

Object number2018.23

On View

Not on view

DescriptionThis photograph depicts a large rock face against a blue background.
Label Textleft Carleton E. Watkins American, 1829–1916 Sentinel Rock from the Upper House Hotel at the Foot of Yosemite, 1865 Mammoth plate albumen print (photograph) on original mount right David Benjamin Sherry American, born 1981 Holy Holy, 2011 Chromogenic print (photograph) Most of us come to know natural wonders through photography before experiencing them in real life. Carleton Watkins’ photographs of Yosemite Valley were some of the first photographic images of the area, and as seen here, they capture the awesome scale of the landscape. By transforming vast stretches of wilderness into a series of appealing images, Watkins provided the public with a means to easily understand a complex environment. David Benjamin Sherry’s vibrant and unconventional colors transform a rock formation into a dreamy and even lustfully desirable experience. Instead of using photography to tame the wilderness, he leverages the medium to keep it wild. Contemporary artists like Sherry reflect on how photographic predecessors, such as Watkins, shaped the way we feel about the landscape. Museum purchase, in memory of Alice and Sol B. Frank 2017.29 Museum purchase 2018.23 ProvenanceThe artist. Private collector via Salon 94, New York. Purchased by the Chrysler Museum of art via Christie's in 2018.Exhibition History"From Ansel Adams to Infinity," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, September 21, 2018 - January 27, 2019. "5 Years of Photography: Building the Chrysler Collection," Photography & Focus Galleries, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, June 26 - November 10, 2019.