Oklahoma City museum opening Julius Shulman, "Passport to Paris" exhibits

This untitled photo by Julius Shulman depicts the exterior of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame (now called the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was designed by architects Begrow & Brown of Birmingham, Mich. Shulman photographed the building on April 17-18, 1966 (J. Paul Getty Trust. Used with permission. Julius Shulman Photography Archive. Research Library at the Getty Research Institute.)

Edouard Manet (1832 1883), “Olympia,” 1867, Etching with tone on old laid paper (Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia)

From Wednesday’s Life section of The Oklahoman.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art exhibitions show contrast between artistic periods

The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is offering two different views on black and white with a matched pair of special exhibitions.

“Julius Shulman: Oklahoma Modernism Rediscovered,” the first retrospective of the legendary architectural photographer’s Oklahoma images, and “Passport to Paris: 19^th Century French Prints from the Georgia Museum of Art,” a collection of prints by master artists of the period, are opening Thursday and will be on view through June 7.

“We liked the contrast between 19^th century prints and 20^th century modernist photography. We thought that could be an interesting contrast for our visitors,” said Brian Hearn, organizing curator for the Shulman exhibit, which is getting national attention, including an article in May’s Metropolitan Home magazine.

“Passport to Paris” was already set for this summer when three local fans of Shulman’s work approached the museum about doing an exhibit of his Oklahoma photographs, he said. The exhibits will share space in the museum’s ground-floor special exhibitions gallery.

Oklahoma modern

Shulman, 98, is best known for his work in Southern California, including his famed photo “Case Study House #22, Los Angeles, 1960. Pierre Koenig, Architect.” The artist planned to come to Oklahoma City for the opening, but won’t make the trip due to health issues.

“We’re still holding out hope that he might be able to come out for the closing. His spirit his willing but his body is not cooperating. But he is very excited about this exhibit,” Hearn said. “It’s the first time his Oklahoma work has been publicly exhibited … and he’s just glad people are paying attention to some of the more neglected aspects of his work.”