Jack Snow-Viener

Critical & Theoretical Studies (3)

12 April 2024

Critical Review
‘The Last Picture Show’ by Douglas Fogle

In ‘The Last Picture Show’, writer and curator Douglas Fogle accounts the innovations and
developments of artists utilising the photography medium1. Douglas Fogle writes this text to
accompany the exhibition ‘The Last Picture Show: Artists Using Photography,
1960-1982’ (2003)2, a curated collection of artworks produced in between the years 1960 and
1982 where the ‘assumed verisimilitude’ of the
photographic medium were being challenged; or
rather the con nements of photography are being
challenged to alter the publics perception of what
may be possible. The selected artists are
accompanied by theories of Henri Cartier-
Bresson, Jean Baudrillard and Douglas Crimp
which allow for the works to be viewed with an
academic aid, thus allowing for the work to be
demysti ed for the viewer.
Using Yves Klein’s 1960’s photograph ‘Leap Into
The Void’ as a starting point for this text, Fogle
explains the development of photography
chronologically. Starting with the in uential
Fig.1 Yves Klein and Harry Shunk,
‘Leap into the Void’ artwork that utilised the mainstream use and
(1960)
concept of Photomontage. Fogle explains that
photography as a medium is always assumed to be truthful, and by pulling off this hoax Klein

1Fogle, Douglas. "The Last Picture Show." In The Last Picture Show: Artists Using Photography, 1960-1982,
9-19. Minneapolis: Walker Art Centre, 2003.
2Fogle, Douglas. The Last Picture Show: Artists Using Photography, 1960-1982. 2003. "Exhibition". Walker Art
Center,, October 11, 2003.

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appears to be falling out of a window in the streets of Paris. While Fogle doesn’t explicitly
suggest that Klein’s photography revolutionised the concept that all photographs are truthful,
but instead suggests that within the context of 1960’s art history, this images brilliance lies
with its ambiguity of object. The argument that Fogle raises is that is photograph may not be
perceived as an artwork due to it being more of a documentation of a performance, but yet,
the performance itself doesn’t really exist beyond the object of the photograph (due to its
altering).
Further into the text, the advertisement for the exhibition ‘The Last Picture Show:
Artists Using Photography, 1960-1982’ begins. Fogle writes that 57 Artists featured in the
exhibition were chosen as they share “little interest in nding photography's true essence as an
art or in capturing decisive moments”. Fogle De nes a ‘Decisive moment’ through Henri
Cartier-Bresson’s original de nition in which suggests that when a photographer decides to
take an image, they begin to discover themselves in relation to the world3. Rather what this
concept suggests is that there are two worlds, one that exists within the photograph, and one
that exists in the world that surrounds that photograph, similar to an exterior and an interior
of a space. The decisive moment is what brings those two worlds together, which is the
ultimate perfect moment, according to Cartier-Bresson.
Essentially, with this text, Fogle wishes to highlight those artists who he believes are those
who tend to defy any sort of con nement to a certain degree. As the ‘decisive moment’
context as perimeter to break or interact with, emblematic of a previous way of
understanding.
The successful strength of Fogle’s text lies with its relevance to the the exhibition itself.
The content of the text is consistent with its purpose, all the references do have relevance to
the exhibition that Fogle is curating. Examples of this are the introduction to ‘The Decisive
Moment” concept or even the inclusion of the rst artwork featured in the text “Leap into the
void” both are keystones for the text. The concept of the decisive moment is symbolic of
status of art that predates what is featured in the exhibition. Where as “leap into the void” is
an example of that concept being broken, as the decisive moment is not decisive but instead
never even existed, ultimately appropriating a moment that does not exist in reality or really
in the image itself. The text becomes successful due to this introduction, as when the text

3 Bresson, Cartier. Henri Cartier-Bresson: The decisive moment. Steidl Dap, 2015.

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 continues and works of Sherrie Levine and Cindy Sherman become much more consumable.
Further, when Fogle invites Jean Baudrillard’s term “simulacrum,”4 into the text, the
foundational knowledge of Cartier-Bresson’s “decisive moment” aids in the understanding of
this concept. For example, if the Simulacrum is where the image no longer corresponds to
reality but becomes a kind of reality in and of itself, that may answer the limbo that Yves
Kleins image sits in. As now the absent moment that Kleins image captures is no longer
absent, it now, under Baudrillard’s term sits “in a reality in and of itself ”.
However, Fogle tends to make a contradiction with this theory which does weaken the
text. All the theories presented are key components in the exhibitions creation and a key
aspect to understand the works to a certain degree, which is most likely the reason Fogle has
included them. Yet this inclusion almost demysti es the work in a way that continues to fence
them into a certain group. Sherrie Levine’s appropriation of Walker Evan’s photographs,
Cindy Sherman making familiar references to characters who only partially exist in their
concept, The re-contextualising of advertisements in Richard Princes’ work; all these
artworks now sit within a framework rather than being emblematic of artists who are sitting
outside the border of photographical constraints. Fogle almost defeats the purpose of exploring
artworks that are de ant if
the text inform the reader on
the theories that sit beside
them.
Fogle’s text is accompanied
by a glori cation of the work
of Sherrie Levine, who’s
series “After Walker Evan’s”
uses found images by
photographer Walker Evans.
Levine displays these
southern gothic images as
Fig. 2
Sherrie Levine, After Walker Evans (1981)
her own in order to play with
authority and ownership. Art

4 Baudrillard, Jean. 1983. Simulations. New York: Semiotext(E), Cop.

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 critic Robert Hughes in his book “Nothing if Not Critical: Selected Essays on Art and Artists”
(1990)5 expresses his reservations toward post modernist appropriation due to it’s lack of
dimension, arguing that time should be spent elsewhere or rather the gaze should be
prioritising those who may be more ‘original’. Here in the text written by Fogle, Douglas
Crimp is quoted, known to have championed the likes of Sherrie Levine, providing a very
strong opinion on the art of appropriation. Crimp’s claiming that it is
“imperative to understand the picture itself, not in order to uncover a lost reality, but to determine how a
picture becomes a signifying structure of its own accord.” In the curatorial statement for the infamous
exhibition ‘Pictures’ (1977)6
The lack of inclusion of both perspectives or rather not including the massive pushback
argument makes the text feel somewhat weighted, with a generous push in favour of the
artists featured, which allows there to be little discourse. It is mentioned that there is
controversy sounding some pieces, yet insight is never exposed, instead the brilliance of each
work is highlighted. The aim of the text is to elucidate and demystify the works and also be
used as a way to communicate from curator to audience, therefor the text may be stronger if
the notions of critics such as Robert Hughes were contested. Although the text isn’t
argumentative in nature, the content of the text relies on the controversy of each piece or
rather the boundaries it breaks, therefore in order to strengthen the text, featuring an
argument may aid in its depth. 0- -0
In conclusion, ‘The Last Picture Show’ by Douglas Fogle examines a generation of
artists who use photography in ways that have de ed what was previously constricting the
medium. Within the text, strengths of contents relevancy and point of view are prominent yet
in some aspects of the text Fogle seems to categorise the seemly de ant works that ultimately
demystify the contention for better or for worse. The close analysis of this generation of
photographers makes for a very helpful and insightful guide to accompany an exhibit,
certainly lled with theories and allegories that uplift the text signi cantly. Ultimately, Fogle
very diligently examines the work of a generation with a chronological lexicon of history that
is extremely informative and dense.

5 Hughes, Robert. 2001. Nothing If Not Critical : Selected Essays on Art and Artists. London: Panther.

6 "pictures," exhibition catalog, Artist's Space, New York, 1977.

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 Bibliography
Fogle, Douglas. "The Last Picture Show." In The Last Picture Show: Artists Using
Photography, 1960-1982, 9-19. Minneapolis: Walker Art Centre, 2003.
Fogle, Douglas. The Last Picture Show: Artists Using Photography, 1960-1982. 2003.
"Exhibition". Walker Art Center,, October 11, 2003.
Bresson, Cartier. Henri Cartier-Bresson: The decisive moment. Steidl Dap, 2015.
Baudrillard, Jean. 1983. Simulations. New York: Semiotext(E), Cop.
Hughes, Robert. 2001. Nothing If Not Critical : Selected Essays on Art and Artists.
London: Panther.
"Pictures," exhibition catalog, Artist's Space, New York, 1977.

List of Figures

Figure 1.
Yves Klein and Harry Shunk, ‘Leap into the Void’ (1960)
Sourced from Fogle, Douglas. "The Last Picture Show." In The Last Picture Show:
Artists Using Photography, 1960-1982, 9-19. Minneapolis: Walker Art Centre, 2003.

Figure 2.
Sherrie Levine, After Walker Evans (1981)
Sourced from Fogle, Douglas. "The Last Picture Show." In The Last Picture Show:
Artists Using Photography, 1960-1982, 9-19. Minneapolis: Walker Art Centre, 2003.

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