The Decal
John Gutmann
American, born Germany. 1905–1998
1935
This gelatin silver print by John Gutmann freezes a sly urban moment—a painted pin‑up decal visible through a car's small vent window beside the cropped profile of its driver—exploring how everyday imagery collides with daily life.
You are first arrested by the graphic contrast: the glossy, flirtatious cartoon legs and lifted skirt set against the worn metal curves and deep shadows of the car, the real and the illustrated jostling for attention.
The image is a modernist street-photography study of 1930s American visual culture, showing how advertising and ornamentation intrude on private space and how framing and cropping can expose social ironies.
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
9 1/2 × 6 1/4" (24.1 × 15.8 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
John Gutmann Bequest
Accession
22.2019
Palette
Exhibitions
