DAVID LEVINTHAL (b. 1949),

'Untitled (#18)' (from Modern Romance series), 2000

Vintage SIGNED Polaroid SX-70 Time Zero Photograph

Unique Polaroid photograph. Dimensions: 4" x 4" (3" x 3-1/2" image). SIGNED, dated '1985' and annotated '#18' in pencil in margin on recto. Excellent condition with no visible defects. Photo-cornered in black museum mat.

American photographer David Levinthal re-stages historical events using toy figures, play sets, and other miniatures—often to unsettling effects. “Ever since I began working with toys,” the artist explains, “I have been intrigued with the idea that these seemingly benign objects could take on such incredible power and personality simply by the way they were photographed.” Hitler Moves East (1977)—Levinthal’s first book of photographs, produced in collaboration with the cartoonist Gary Trudeau—blurs the line between fact and fiction, employing a photojournalistic style to capture toy soldiers in action. Levinthal’s other tableaus similarly draw upon the American psyche, whether depicting the American West, baseball players at bat, fantasies of the pin-up girl, or narrative scenes from Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Known as a pioneer of the constructed photograph, David Levinthal has become an explorer of the darker side of the American psyche through his atmospheric tableaux. The artist’s Modern Romance series (1983-1985) is a watershed body of work. After staging and lighting tiny figures in miniature sets, Levinthal photographed them with a Polaroid Land Camera. The resulting photographs represent small but pregnant moments in a fictional urban narrative–people in hotel rooms, in diners, on the street. They evoke the nocturnal New York of Edward Hopper paintings, and the sexual tension of film noir. The protagonists are lonely urbanites, seemingly caught by surveillance techniques. Our sense of voyeurism is heightened by Levinthal's canny use of Hopper's window frame-within-a-frame compositions. Familiar in many ways, the depicted individuals are bathed in a light that leaves them unfocussed, suggesting the alienation that accompanies much city night-life. Sometimes the works are photographed from video screens, so that they become an image of an image, a hazy surface that suggests surveillance. Here, Levinthal echoes the distancing that has already been created by his use of models but elaborates it through the frame of our own voyeuristic vision. Levinthal’s is a bleak outlook that suggests the singularity of the individual urban experience, where the soul seems lost in darkness, impenetrable. Yet the weight of this feeling remains light in the recognition that the images are only fictions.

Since the mid-1980's Levinthal has increasingly used the 20 x 24 Polaroid camera to produce large-format photographs. His work pre-dates the rise of 'postmodern photography,' anticipating in important ways the work of artists such as Cindy Sherman, Laurie Simmons and James Casebere.

David Levinthal has received numerous grants and awards including a Guggenheim fellowship and a NEA fellowship, and his work is held in more than 35 significant public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, NY, the Whitney Museum of American Art, NY, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, the Corcoran Gallery, Washington, DC and the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris.

Early last year, the Polaroid Corporation ceased producing its iconic film. October 9, 2009 will see the final "Use by" or Expiration date of the last batch of Polaroid film manufactured.

The Polaroid or 'one-step photography' was invented by Edwin H. Land, founder of the Polaroid Corporation, in 1947. Land believed from the beginning that artistic inquiry was a critical element in the exploration of Polaroid products, recognising the importance of photographers experimenting with the medium to push Polaroid film to its limits. Land met Ansel Adams in 1948 and he became the first of several artist consultants hired to test the cameras and films. Adams wrote of Polaroid, "I think it promises to be one of the greatest steps in the development of photography". The Polaroid SX-70 camera and instant film debuted in 1972.

SELECT RECENT SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

2024
'The Polaroid Project: At the Intersection of Art and Technology' (group exhibition), National Taiwan Normal University Museum of Art, Taipei City, Taiwan (3/8 - 6/7)
'David Levinthal: Curveball: Sports and American Myths', Schmidt Center Gallery at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL

'The Power of Resilience and Hope – Photography and the Holocaust: Then & Now' (group exhibition), CEPA Gallery, Buffalo, NY (1/20 - 5/31)

2023
'David Levinthal: History', Julie Nester Gallery, Park City, UT
'David Levinthal & Carole Feuerman: Summer Camp', Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

2022
'David Levinthal: Polaroids', Baldwin Gallery, Aspen, CO
'American Myth & Memory: David Levinthal Photographs', Dayton Art Institute (DAI), Dayton, OH
'David Levinthal: Baseball', Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, NC
'David Levinthal: America! America! Exploring History, Myth, and Memory', Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA
'David Levinthal: Heroes, Sluts and Servants', CEPA Gallery, Buffalo, NY

2021 
'Beyond the O.K. Corral: David Levinthal, Wilson J. Tang, and YumeGO', NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, FL
'Precious Medals: Gold, Silver, Bronze' (group exhibition), Asheville Art Museum, Asheville, NC

2020 
'American Myth & Memory: David Levinthal Photographs', Gund Gallery, Kenyon College, Gabier, OH

2019 
'American Myth & Memory: David Levinthal Photographs', Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM), Washington, DC
'David Levinthal: Barbie and Baseball', Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR
'Model Natures in Contemporary Photography' (group exhibition), Kallmann Museum Ismaning, Ismaning, Germany (traveled)

2018 
'David Levinthal', Heather James Fine Art, Jackson Hole, WY
'David Levinthal: War, Myth, Desire', Eastman Museum, Rochester, NY
'History: Photographs by David Levinthal', Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, NY
'David Levinthal: Playland', Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts (AEIVA), Birmingham, AL

2017 
'David Levinthal: Photographs 1972–2016', Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH), Houston, TX
'David Levinthal: Recent Acquisitions', NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, FL

2016 
'David Levinthal: The Wild West', Julie Nester Gallery, Park City, UT
'David Levinthal: Airport', SFO Museum, San Francisco, CA

2015 
'David Levinthal and Laurie Lambrecht', June Lee Contemporary Art, Corona del Mar, CA
'David Levinthal: Pin Ups', Mana Contemporary, Jersey City, NJ 
'David Levinthal: Hitler Moves East', Mana Contemporary Chicago, Chicago, IL 
'David Levinthal: XXX Ð Blanc et Noir', Mana Contemporary, Jersey City, NJ 
'History: Photographs by David Levinthal', George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film, Rochester, NY
'David Levinthal: Uncle Tom's Cabin', Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia, MO

2014 
'David Levinthal: Make Believe', San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA

2013
'David Levinthal: War Games', Corcoran Museum of Art, Washington, DC

2012
'David Levinthal: The Last Trail', Baldwin Gallery, Aspen, CO

2011
'David Levinthal: Attack of the Bricks: Star Wars', Gering & López Gallery, New York, NY
'David Levinthal: Toyland', LEADAPRON, Los Angeles, CA
'Polaroid [Im]possible: The WestLicht Collection' (group exhibition), WestLicht Museum of Photography, Vienna, Austria
'David Levinthal: Black Again', John McWhinnie at Glenn Horowitz Bookseller, New York, NY
'David Levinthal: Photographs: 1974-2008', 169 Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

2010
'David Levinthal', Wessel + O'Connor Fine Art, Lambertville, NJ
'LA COLLECTION S'EXPOSE - Polaroid in Peril!' (group exhibition), Musée de l'Elysée, Lausanne, Switzerland
'David Levinthal: American Beauties, Bad Barbies, Wild West', Ochi Gallery, Ketchum, ID

2009
'David Levinthal: I.E.D.: War in Afghanistan and Iraq', Stellan Holm Gallery, New York, NY
'Heads' (group exhibition), Julie Saul Gallery, New York, NY
'David Levinthal: Bad Barbie, Vintage Photographs', Glenn Horowitz Bookseller & Art Gallery, New York, NY
'Polaroid: Exp. 10/9/09' (group exhibition), Atlas Gallery, London, UK
'Into the Sunset: Photography's Image of the American West' (group exhibition), Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, NY
'David Levinthal: Barbie!', Gering & López Gallery, New York, NY
'Black Is Black Ain’t' (group exhibition), Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) Detroit, MI

2008
'David Levinthal: Space Toys: New Polaroids', Baldwin Gallery, Aspen, CO
'David Levinthal: War', Baldwin Gallery, Aspen, CO

'Reality Check: Truth and Illusion in Contemporary Photography' (group exhibition), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
'David Levinthal: Space', Galeria Javier López, Madrid, Spain
'David Levinthal: A Wild Romance. Work from the Eighties', Glenn Horowitz Bookseller & Art Gallery, New York, NY
'Black Is Black Ain’t' (group exhibition), Renaissance Society, Chicago, IL
'David Levinthal: Hitler Moves East. Vintage Photographs', John McWhinnie @ Glenn Horowitz Bookseller, New York, NY

2007
'David Levinthal: The Passion', Stephen Cohen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
'Short Stories: Photographs 1890-2006' (group exhibition), Macy Gallery, Columbia University, New York, NY

2006
'David Levinthal: Barbies & Baseball', Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, Montclair State University, Little Falls, NJ
'David Levinthal: Baseball', Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
'David Levinthal: 1974 - 2004', Stellar Somerset Gallery, Palo Alto, CA
'David Levinthal: The Passion', Spike Gallery, New York, NY
'Insistent Objects: David Levinthal’s “Blackface”', The Menil Collection, Houston, TX
'David Levinthal', Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
'David Levinthal', Gerald Peters Gallery, Dallas, TX

2005
'David Levinthal: Girlfriend!', Baldwin Gallery, Aspen, CO
'David Levinthal: New / Now', New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT
'David Levinthal: XXX Sex Dolls', Ricco / Maresca Gallery, New York, NY
'David Levinthal and the American Dream', New Center for Contemporary Art, Louisville, KY and Louisville Slugger Museum, Louisville, KY
'David Levinthal: The New York Yankees and the American Dream', Tampa Museum of Art, FL

2004
'David Levinthal: Hell's Belles', Spike Gallery, NY
'David Levinthal: Baseball', Birmingham Museum of Art, AL
'David Levinthal: Boys of Summer', Augen Gallery, Portland, OR
'David Levinthal: American Beauties', Ochi Fine Art, Ketchum, ID
'David Levinthal: Baseball', Conner Contemporary Art, Washington, DC
'David Levinthal: Netsuke', Galerie Xippas, Paris, France

2003
'David Levinthal: Baseball Series - New Polaroids', Baldwin Gallery, Aspen, CO
'David Levinthal: Works 1972-2002', Birmingham Museum of Art, AL
'David Levinthal', Augen Gallery, Portland, OR
'David Levinthal: The Wild West', Lisa Sette Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
'Small Wonder: Worlds in a Box', Block Museum of Art, Evanston, IL

2002
'From the Valley of the Dolls: David Levinthal, 1985-2001', Daniel Azoulay Gallery, Miami, FL
'David Levinthal: XXX', The Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA 'David Levinthal: The Wild West', Ochi Gallery, Ketchum, ID
'David Levinthal: 1975-2001', Ashevile Art Museum, Asheville, NC
'David Levinthal: XXX', Paul Morris Gallery, New York, NY
'David Levinthal: The Wild West', Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
'David Levinthal: The Wild West', Mark Moore Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
'David Levinthal: The Wild West', Conner Contemporary Art, Washington, DC
'David Levinthal: Blackface', Alexandria Black History Resource Center, Alexandria, VA
'Small Wonders: World in a Box', Contemporary Art Center of Virginia, Virginia Beach, VA

PLEASE SEE MY OTHER AUCTIONS BY CLICKING MY

Store

ICON ABOVE