The Beach Museum of Art is pleased to present this exhibition of work by Kansas photographer Jon Blumb. Well-known for his commercial photography, Blumb is especially regarded for his photographs of art objects, which can be seen in numerous exhibition catalogues and art-related publications. He is also known for his photographic documentation of grassroots and visionary art sites in Kansas and the region, particularly the Garden of Eden in Lucas, Kansas; Blumb has been active in efforts to preserve these sites. His images of these subjects represent an enormous contribution to the culture of the state.

Blumb has also produced a large body of creative photography, the subject of the present exhibition. Featured in this exhibition is William S. Burroughs in Prints: A Portfolio of Original Photographs, 1990-1997, recently acquired for the museum through the generosity of the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art. This limited edition portfolio comprising sixteen photographs of the late Beat writer (best known for Naked Lunch) was assembled as a collaborative project between the photographer and myself. Blumb, a close personal friend of Burroughs, produced a large body of work related to the writer over the course of their friendship.

The balance of the photographs included in this exhibition represents a relatively new direction for Blumb, large-scale panoramic views of the landscape. One of Blumb’s abiding passions is the outdoors. Hunting, fishing, and camping subjects constitute a significant portion of his commercial work. The panoramic views of the Kansas, Italian, and Scottish landscapes in this exhibition are products of Blumb’s love of the outdoors and the landscape. An avid hunter, Blumb was a participant in the Italian Boar hunts and Scottish Roe Deer hunts depicted in some of these photographs.

A notable element of many of these panoramic photographs is Blumb’s judicious and thoughtful use of digital technology in the processing and printing. All of the photographs in this exhibition were taken with a traditional film camera. For a number of them, Blumb scanned the film negatives and used software to develop the images before printing them as inkjet prints. This method of digital processing is distinct from digital imaging, which involves capturing an image with a digital camera. The process allows Blumb to retain and refine characteristics of analog film photography for which digital photography is often ill-suited, notably the rich sense of atmosphere and depth found in his images.

Bill North, Senior Curator

Jon Blumb
Born 1956, Peoria, Illinois
MFA (1981), photography, University of Kansas, Lawrence
BFA (1977), photography, Massachusetts College of Art, Boston

Selected Public Collections:

Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, Kansas State University, Manhattan
The Kansas Collection, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas, Lawrence
Grassroots Art Center, Lucas, Kansas
Kresge Art Museum, Michigan State University, East Lansing
South Carolina State Museum, Columbia
Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence

...

This exhibition is presented in part by the Kansas Arts Commission, a state agency, and by the National Endowment for the Arts, a Federal agency.

CHECKLIST

Note: All photographs are by Jon Blumb (United States, born 1956). Dimensions refer to the image size and are given in millimeters, height preceding width. Unless otherwise noted, all photographs are from the collection of the artist.

Kansas

Illinois

Italy

Scotland

William S. Burroughs in Prints: A Portfolio of Original Photographs, 1990 - 1997

Kansas

1
Caney Creek, Red Buffalo Ranch, Chautauqua County, Kansas, 2004
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2005)
752 x 279

2
The Front Meadow at the Leo Schumacher Farm, Morris County, Kansas, 2002
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
254 x 708






3
The Lane and Barn at “Ida’s Place,” Dickinson County, Kansas, 2002
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2005)
279 x 758







4
Lightstruck Tree and Garden, Morris County, Kansas, 2002
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
253 x 683








5
Looking South on 3000 Road, Morris County, Kansas, 2002
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
253 x 682








6
Near East Elmore, Ness County, Kansas, 2003
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2005)
279 x 784







7
North Field and Fencerow, Long View Farm, Atchinson County, Kansas, 2002
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2005)
279 x 763







8
The Persinger Ranch, Norton County, Kansas, 2004
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2005)
279 x 756







9
Post and Bale Seen from Woodlot, Dickinson County, Kansas, 2003
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
253 x 682

10
Shed Roofs and Barn, Dickinson County, Kansas, 2002
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
683 x 254

11
Snowstorm at Long View Farm, Atchinson County, Kansas, Christmas Eve Day, 2001
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
253 x 683








12
Terraced Farmyard at “Ida’s Place,” Dickinson County, Kansas, 2002
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
253 x 683








13
Waldo Road, Russell County, Kansas, 2004
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2005)
279 x 766

Illinois

14
Cloudburst on an Illinois Bottomland Road, 2002
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2005)
279 x 757

Italy

15
Before the Hunt, near Stigliano, Italy, 2003
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
279 x 753







16
Colle Di Vall d’Elsa, Italy, November, 2003
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
279 x 741








17
Fields South of Pienza, Italy, 2003
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
277 x 757







18
Fortezza, Montalcino, Italy, 2003
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
279 x 769







19
South of Siena, North of Grotti, Italy, 2003
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
279 x 762








20
Valter Franci Building a Fire, Italy, 2003
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
277 x 754







21
View from Torri, Italy, 2002
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
279 x 712






22
View toward Montalcino from Superstrade 2, Italy, 2001
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
279 x 762





23
View toward Mt. Amiata in Fog, Italy, 2003
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
279 x 759

Scotland

24
Bruce Cooper Glassing, Glen Dye Estate, Scotland, 2003
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
279 x 756







25
Cottage by Strath Oykel, Sutherland, Scotland, 2003
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
279 x 754








26
Gamekeeper, Mark Aincliff, Fasque Estate, Scotland, 2003
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
279 x 771








27
Granite Hillside at Creag Dharaich Woodland, Scotland, 2003
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
279 x 773









28
House on Loch Nedd, Scotland, 2003
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
279 x 763











29
Loch Ness, Looking Northwest, Scotland, 2003
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
279 x 767










30
Pond, Fasque Estate, Scotland, 2003
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
279 x 761












31
Roe Deer Stalkers at Glen Tanar Estate, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, August, 2003
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
279 x 767









32
Sunrise at Fasque Estate, Scotland, 2003
Inkjet print from scanned film negative (printed 2004)
279 x 763

William S. Burroughs

33
Interview: Lawrence, Kansas, April 25, 1990
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
458 x 356
KSU, Beach Museum of Art, acquisition made possible with funds provided by the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, 2005.21







34
Recording Session for a Music Video, September 25, 1992
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
353 x 456
KSU, Beach Museum of Art, acquisition made possible with funds provided by the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, 2005.22








35
Reading Rigor Mortis, September 25, 1992
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
458 x 353
KSU, Beach Museum of Art, acquisition made possible with funds provided by the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, 2005.23








36
Practicing Knife Throwing, February 17, 1994
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
479 x 323
KSU, Beach Museum of Art, acquisition made possible with funds provided by the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, 2005.24







37
Shooting His Smith & Wesson .357, February 17, 1994
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
356 x 459
KSU, Beach Museum of Art, acquisition made possible with funds provided by the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, 2005.25









38
Spray Painting a Panel, Wakarusa Flats, February 17, 1994
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
458 x 356
KSU, Beach Museum of Art, acquisition made possible with funds provided by the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, 2005.26









39
Playing Himself for “Lost in the Stars,” February, 1994
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
458 x 355
KSU, Beach Museum of Art, acquisition made possible with funds provided by the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, 2005.27








40
On the Banks of the Wakarusa with .44 Special, March 4, 1994
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
459 x 355
KSU, Beach Museum of Art, acquisition made possible with funds provided by the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, 2005.28








41
Reading “The Masque of the Red Death,” May 23, 1995
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
458 x 354
KSU, Beach Museum of Art, acquisition made possible with funds provided by the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art,
2005.29









42
Recording Naked Lunch, Head Shot, September 11, 1996
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
458 x 356
KSU, Beach Museum of Art, acquisition made possible with funds provided by the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, 2005.30








43
Reading Triggernometry at Home, October 9, 1996
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
356 x 459
KSU, Beach Museum of Art, acquisition made possible with funds provided by the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, 2005.31










44
Heading for Home, Wakarusa Flats, Kansas, March 4, 1994
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
456 x 354
KSU, Beach Museum of Art, acquisition made possible with funds provided by the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, 2005.32











45
Visitation at Funeral Home, Lawrence, August 6, 1997
Gelatin silver print (printed 2003)
455 x 354
KSU, Beach Museum of Art, acquisition made possible with funds provided by the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, 2005.33









46
Funeral at Liberty Hall, Lawrence, Kansas, August 6, 1997
Gelatin silver print (printed 2004)
353 x 456
KSU, Beach Museum of Art, acquisition made possible with funds provided by the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, 2005.34










47
Loving Memories: Patti Smith, St. Louis, Missouri, August 7, 1997
Gelatin silver print (printed 2004)
455 x 353
KSU, Beach Museum of Art, acquisition made possible with funds provided by the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, 2005.35











48
Bardo Fire, Lou’s Farm, Douglas County, Kansas, September 9, 1997
Lambda print (printed 2004)
459 x 330
KSU, Beach Museum of Art, acquisition made possible with funds provided by the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, 2005.36

Presented by Beach Museum of Art