Sign, California
John Gutmann
American, born Germany. 1905–1998
1937
A gelatin silver street photograph in which Gutmann captures a solitary pedestrian in a hat passing a large painted 'SEEDS' sign, juxtaposing human movement with bold commercial graphics.
What hits you first is the oversized, three‑dimensional 'SEEDS' lettering and row of stylized vegetables set against rough brick, while a small, silhouetted man in the lower right anchors the scene and adds a human rhythm to the geometric composition.
A sharp example of interwar modernist street photography, Gutmann’s immigrant perspective and cropped, graphic framing turn everyday advertising into a study of design, commerce, and urban life that helped define photographic modernism in America.
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
12 1/4 × 10 1/2" (31.1 × 26.7 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Purchase, 1978
Accession
682.1978
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
