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Art Institutions Working on a commission for The George Gund Foundation appealed to me for two reasons: I was thrilled to be included in a photographic series that felt, even at an early stage, important artistically and socially; and the assigned theme-art institutions in Cleveland-meant I would be able to explore in an intimate way some of the city's most extraordinary architecture. The designers were quite specific about their vision-they wanted no people in my photos and would use just two images of any single institution. Never again would I possess such open-ended access, so I wanted to obtain the best negatives possible. I dusted off a seventy-five-year-old 8x10 view camera and prepared to carry thirty-five pounds of equipment from one museum to another. I returned repeatedly to my favorite institutions, taking the time to contemplate the sweep of a railing at Playhouse Square, the ceiling textures at Severance Hall, or the glint of armor at the Cleveland Museum of Art. I also composed numerous photographs that were not used in the annual report. In a dressing room at Playhouse Square, I captured ballerinas putting on makeup in advance of a performance. At Severance, I observed a pianist and the full orchestra through my lens and a peephole in the curtains at stage right. At the art museum, I gazed meditatively at my favorite Egyptian mummy case and tried to render the power emanating from it on black-and-white film. At the Natural History Museum I was allowed to use a pneumatic lift to rise high into the air to share a pterodactyl's view of the dinosaur skeletons. A curator at the Western Reserve Historical Society showed me a rich array of objects and room settings and allowed me to carry clothing from the costume collection to a well-lighted room. Touching these fabrics-the soft velvets and silks, or the plume of an ostrich feather-gave me a visceral impression of a time eighty years ago when wealthy women donated custom-designed dresses worn on extravagant occasions. The smaller institutions presented a greater challenge. Several were housed in old buildings that needed repair and appeared to be barely surviving. But the fact that the Gund funded humble institutions impressed me. The Afro-American Cultural Museum, in a rough neighborhood, presented a stark contrast to the Cleveland Museum of Art just a mile away. By the time I left, the director had convinced me to contribute. At the Broadway School of Music, I felt the staff's commitment to disadvantaged children; I tried to translate that energy into an image of a glowing piano. I am grateful to have participated in this inspirational endeavor. I hope that the exhibition and book serve to sustain the Gund's commitment to this project.
About Linda Butler Over time, Linda Butler has developed a photographic style that emphasizes form, space, structure, texture, pattern, and the play of light. The printing process is a critical component of her work, through which she achieves the rich and subtle grays that distinguish her haunting images.
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