Paul Shambroom: Picturing Power

Shambroom,
our fellow Minneapolitan, is not a trendy name in contemporary photography, but
he’s revered by insiders: In one recent book surveying 121 heavy hitters in
this medium, more space is devoted to him than to any other. One reason for
that might be his dedication. Shambroom doesn’t just address a topic, be it
nuclear weaponry or municipal government—he becomes thoroughly immersed,
conducting mountains of research, traveling across the country, and taking
years to create a series of images. None of that effort is wasted: His
photographs are by turns majestic and menacing, eerie and absurd. This survey
brings together, for the first time, work from Shambroom’s most important
series: Factories, Offices, Nuclear Weapons, Meetings, and Security. Picturing
Power will travel to Columbus, Atlanta, and Long Beach. I’d add that it’s also
worthy of a stint at MoMA in New York, where another local photographer
recently had a survey (see “Also Noted”).

Weisman Art Museum, 333 East River Road, Minneapolis; 612-625-9494.