Nineteen Lincolns
Artist
Greta Pratt
(American, born 1955)
CultureAmerican
Date2004-2005, printed 2014
Medium18 archival pigment prints
DimensionsOverall, Image: 27 × 22 in. (68.6 × 55.9 cm) each
Other (Sheet size): 29 × 24 in. (73.7 × 61 cm) each
Other (Sheet size): 29 × 24 in. (73.7 × 61 cm) each
PortfolioEdition 2 of 4
Credit LineMuseum purchase, in memory of Alice R. and Sol B. Frank
Object number2015.14
Not on view
DescriptionThis is a series of 18 archival pigment prints, each 29 x 24 inches in size. They were printed in 2014. The prints are affixed to white archival backing boards, unmatted, and framed under plexiglass in solid white wooden frames. These were printed in 2014 specifically for the exhibition "Greta Pratt: Nineteen Lincolns" at the Chrysler. For this series, Pratt visited annual conventions of the Association of Lincoln Presenters and created portraits of many of the attendees. At these conventions, the Lincoln impersonators dress in costume, practice their speeches, participate in seminars about American history, and often visit sites that are in some way connected to Lincoln’s life. Pratt’s portraits of the Lincoln presenters follow a standardized formula: a large, close-up view of the actor’s upper body and face, brightly lit and in sharp focus, with a blurry green landscape and blue sky in the background. Each Abe wears a black suit and stove-pipe hat.Label TextGreta Pratt: Nineteen Lincolns Photographer Greta Pratt studies the role of historical images and myths within contemporary American culture, looking at expressions of identity that are in dialogue with the past. Her series Nineteen Lincolns (2004−05) introduces us to reenactors from The Association of Lincoln Presenters. These portraits, taken at the group’s annual convention, explore the motives that draw each actor to the iconic black suit and stovepipe hat of Abraham Lincoln, a man of humble birth and strong moral character who became a courageous leader. The Pulitzer Prize-nominated photographer lives in New York City, Minneapolis, and Norfolk, where she has worked since 2008 as an Associate Professor of Photography at Old Dominion University. She is the author of three photography books based on her extensive travels throughout the United States. ProvenancePurchased from the artist by the Chrysler Museum of Art, September 2015.Exhibition History"Nineteen Lincolns," Chrysler Museum of Art, February 10 - July 5, 2015.Published ReferencesReturned MAS - Jeff from Kilgore2015.28
