Artist
Gay Block (American, born 1942)American, born 1942
CultureAmerican
Titles
- Mother and Daughters; Jane Elise with Lynn and Joan
Date1976
PlaceHouston, Texas, United States
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsImage: 13 15/16 × 14 in. (35.4 × 35.6 cm)
Sheet: 19 7/8 × 16 in. (50.5 × 40.6 cm)
Sheet: 19 7/8 × 16 in. (50.5 × 40.6 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by Gay Block's Consciousness-Raising Group plus one
Object number79.193
Non exposé
Explore Further
Department
PhotographySpecial Collections
Object Type
Driven by a need to understand herself and those closest to her, Gay Block’s early work in portraiture began with her family and then expanded out to her close friends, many of whom were part of the Jewish community in Houston in which she grew up. These early portraits often emphasize familial relationships and show the sitters in their homes or businesses, posing plainly for the camera. This emphasis on self-presentation would become an element that Block would explore throughout her career, aiming to pull back the facade and reveal the character within.
Provenance[The Cronin Gallery, Houston]; purchased by MFAH, 1979.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
bottom left below image in ink: Mother & Daughters; Jane Elise with Lynn & Joan
bottom right below image in ink: Gay Block 1976
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
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