Julius Shulman Showcased in the Southwest

"Julius Shulman: Oklahoma Modernism Rediscovered" runs through June 7.

Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 5/11/2009

Founders Bank

In the twilight of his life, Julius Shulman finds himself being celebrated once again. But this time, it’s a world away from his Los Angeles stomping grounds. The nonagenarian architectural shutterbug's beautifully restrained black-and-white images are now taking advantage of Southwestern hospitality at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.

"Julius Shulman: Oklahoma Modernism Rediscovered," running through June 7, is the first-ever retrospective of photographs taken in Oklahoma by the legendary lensman.

 
State Capitol Bank; Cunningham House interior

Shulman is perhaps best known for his iconic photos of Case Study houses in Los Angeles, and the mid-century masterpieces of Palm Springs. But less famous are the photographer’s frequent photo ops in Oklahoma during his cross-country jaunts to capture the modernist movement. The state's vast and often volatile skies, along with its flat plains, provided the perfect backdrop for the long, low lines and bold forms of the era's architecture.


Prairie Chicken House

The show features more than 65 images—many unseen by the public for decades—of buildings designed by fellow architectural royalty including Bruce Goff, Herb Greene, William Caudill, Truett Coston, Robert Roloff and Paul Harris. The exhibition was made possible through the support of the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, which houses the complete 70,000-image Shulman archive.


St. Patrick Church exterior

All images by Julius Shulman, copyright J. Paul Getty Trust, and courtesy of Oklahoma City Museum of Art.