1991 (made)
| Artist/Maker |
Many artists, designers, photographers and other creative workers make their own Christmas cards for private use in which their investigations of self, identity and the sense of place may be seen in concentrated form. Landscape photographer Michael Kenna's ethereally-lit scenes of the European cities to which he frequently returns are always devoid of figures but remain haunted by traces of human presence and activity - suggested in this image by the Christmas street decorations strung between buildings and seen in silhouette against a morning-after sky.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Printed image on card with hand-written greeting |
| Brief description | Christmas card by Michael Kenna |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Limited edition |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | Meaning
Is a greeting card anything made - be it a wooden plaque or a paper lantern - to convey a message or greeting or to mark an event or occasion? Is it a particular format - something that opens and closes, an object type - something disposable made of ephemeral materials, or a medium of communication - including performing telegrams and virtual cards sent by e-mail? Artists in various media have begun to address the greetings card phenomenon for a variety of reasons - with some intriguing results. Every Christmas, the fine art handling company, Momart, commissions an artist to create a limited edition gift which it sends out as its corporate greeting. Meanwhile, many artists, designers, photographers and other creative workers make their own Christmas cards in which their investigations of self, gender, the body, death and the sacred may be seen in concentrated form.(15-6-2000) |
| Credit line | Given by Mark Haworth-Booth |
| Production | Reason For Production: Private |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Many artists, designers, photographers and other creative workers make their own Christmas cards for private use in which their investigations of self, identity and the sense of place may be seen in concentrated form. Landscape photographer Michael Kenna's ethereally-lit scenes of the European cities to which he frequently returns are always devoid of figures but remain haunted by traces of human presence and activity - suggested in this image by the Christmas street decorations strung between buildings and seen in silhouette against a morning-after sky. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.174-2000 |
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| Record created | March 28, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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