His photos — historic and unique — are as diverse as the life he has lived. Best known for his iconic photograph “White Man's Moccasins”, which embodies the clash of two cultures, Laguna Pueblo photographer Lee Marmon has chronicled the history of his people for more than six decades.
Beginning on March 1st through April 30th, the Albuquerque Photographers’ Gallery presents “Lee Marmon, The Acoma Collection”, with a reception for the artist on Friday, March 1st, from 6 to 9 pm.
Lee Marmon embarked on his extraordinary career after serving in World War II when he started photographing tribal elders at the suggestion of his father. From that beginning, his work took him to Hollywood, the White House, Acoma Pueblo and back home to Laguna. Along the way he photographed presidents, celebrities, tribal elders, dancers, and sacred landscapes of the Southwest. His work is a unique visual record of American life and has garnered many awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Santa Fe Indian Market and The Czech Republic's Kantuta humanitarian award.
Marmon's work has been widely shown in galleries and museums throughout the world. Some are in the permanent collection at the White House. In 2009, the University of New Mexico acquired Marmon's collection of more than 40,000
negatives and many of his last silver gelatin prints now belong to Acoma Pueblo. Through a special arrangement with Acoma, Albuquerque Photographers' Gallery in Old Town is thrilled to show and offer for sale these rare works of art that are among the last of his personally printed and signed photographs. The gallery will also offer works from Marmon's personal collection, including original silver gelatin prints of “White Man's Moccasins”, as well as several high quality posters. And now, some of his work is available for purchase on our
website.
His daughter, the writer Leslie Marmon-Silko, once wrote of her father that he served, “the most ancient of Pueblo imperatives: to honor all beings, but especially our beloved ones, gone before us”. These are not snapshots, she added, but “lively plays between sunlight and shadow to reveal the precious and beloved outside of time”.
The Albuquerque Photographers' Gallery is located at 303 Romero Street, NW in Old Town Albuquerque and is New Mexico's preeminent gallery of contemporary photography. More information is available from the gallery's website, http://www.abqphotographersgallery.com/
