Frederick Sommer

This exhibition featured the work of Frederick Sommer (1905–1999), an Italian-born photographer who immigrated to the United States in 1925. The 38 works of art featured in the show included photographs, drawings, photographic negatives and gelatin silver prints, all made between 1943 and 1965. Sommer’s prints incorporated a variety of techniques, including the use of smoke and glass and paint on cellophane. Prior to its display in Pasadena, the exhibition was shown at the Washington Gallery of Modern Art, and was accompanied by a catalogue with an introduction written by Gerald Nordland, an American art critic and author. Following the close of the exhibition, the artist donated 30 works to the Pasadena Art Museum, all of which are currently held in the collection of the Norton Simon Museum.