Richard Renaldi - The Nicolaysen Art Museum

Theexhibition “RichardRenaldi:WesternLives,”isacombination
of three different photographic projects from 2004-2006:
The Great Plains, Bus Travelers, and Navajo Nation.
The impetus and spark behind all three is the same in
that Renaldi photographs people of all ages and walks of
life through a vast stretch of the country that is probably
considered off the radar in terms of the urban centers on
each coast. He also tends to focus somewhat on closed
communities,asleastinthetemporary—therandomgatherings
of disparate folks in bus terminals, residents of small towns
in the middle of the Great Plains or the various peoples
comprising the Navajo Nation of Arizona. Renaldi’s
forthright presentation of his subjects, mostly centered
within the image and straight forwardly facing the camera,
telegraph a certain confidence in who they are, how they
presentthemselvestotheworld,andwhattheirexpectations are
from this particular weighted interaction. For the most
part, the personae of these three series are embedded in
the localesandvaststretchesofthecountrythatareasforgettable,
numbing, and anonymous to some as they are beautiful,
extraordinary, stark, and gorgeous to others.
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