Flash: Photographs by Harold Edgerton from the Whitney's Collection

Mar 30–July 15, 2018

This exhibition explores the work of Harold Edgerton (1903–1990), a pioneering figure in the history of 20th century American photography. An engineer and photographer, Edgerton developed flash technology in the 1930s that allowed him to photograph objects and events moving faster than the eye can perceive. Combining technical insight and an aesthetic sensibility, Edgerton’s photographs give unprecedented clarity to the physical world and reveal the magic of everyday life.

Drawn entirely from the Whitney’s collection, this revelatory selection of about forty photographs shot from the 1930s through the 1960s depict single and multiple-exposure images of household products, performances, sporting events, and staged scenarios. Although uncomfortable being called an artist, Edgerton’s work significantly expanded the legacy of such nineteenth-century figures as Eadweard Muybridge and Thomas Eakins, and shared some of the conceptual terrain of early 20th century movements such as Cubism and Futurism.

This exhibition is organized by Carrie Springer, assistant curator.

Installation photography

Installation view of Flash: Photographs by Harold Edgerton from the Whitney’s Collection (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, March 30, 2018–July 15, 2018). From left to right, top to bottom: Football Kick, 1938, printed 1984–85; Charles Hare Serves, 1938, printed later; Untitled (Squash), 1938; Swirls and Eddies, 1939; Untitled (Jenny Tuckey forehand), c. 1940, printed later; Untitled (Diver), c. 1940; Diver, 1955, printed 1984–85; Gus Solomons, 1960, printed 1980–81; A Simple Salute, 1938, printed later; Indian Club Demonstration, 1939, printed later; Moving Skip Rope, 1952, printed later. © 2010 MIT. Courtesy of MIT Museum. Photograph by Ron Amstutz
Installation view of Flash: Photographs by Harold Edgerton from the Whitney’s Collection (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, March 30, 2018–July 15, 2018). From left to right: Fan and Smoke Vortices, 1934, printed 1980–81; Sprinkler, 1939, printed later; Glassy Immobility, 1932, printed later; Untitled (Milk Drop 1), c. 1935, printed later; Untitled (Milk Drop 4), c. 1935, printed later; Untitled (Milk Drop 7), c. 1935, printed later. © 2010 MIT. Courtesy of MIT Museum. Photograph by Ron Amstutz
Installation view of Flash: Photographs by Harold Edgerton from the Whitney’s Collection (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, March 30, 2018–July 15, 2018). From left to right: Jumping Girl, 1940; Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland at MGM Studios, 1940; Milk Drop Coronet, 1957, printed 1984–90; Cranberry Juice into Milk, 1960, printed c. 1984–90; Pigeon Released, 1965, printed 1984–90; Cutting the Card Quickly, 1964, printed 1987. © 2010 MIT. Courtesy of MIT Museum. Photograph by Ron Amstutz
Installation view of Flash: Photographs by Harold Edgerton from the Whitney’s Collection (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, March 30, 2018–July 15, 2018). From left to right: Pigeon Released, 1965, printed 1984–90; Cutting the Card Quickly, 1964, printed 1987; Atomic Bomb Explosion, c. 1952, printed 1980–81; Untitled (This is Milk!), 1933, printed later; Bullet through a Light Bulb, 1936, printed 1980-81; Bullet through Balloons, 1959, printed later. © 2010 MIT. Courtesy of MIT Museum. Photograph by Ron Amstutz