MALL TREES IN SNOWSTORM (C) George Diebold

A look at “Mall Trees in Snowstorm,” one of fine art photographer George Diebold’s favorite images, and it’s easy to see why the Cleveland Museum of Art is a great Diebold fan.

“When I look at that image, I see all that way. The parking lot was beautifully landscaped and enjoyed by many who frequented that mall,” imagines Cleveland Museum of Art Curator Emeritus Tom E. Hinson. “Now, with the economy the way it is, the area is vacant. It’s such a reflection of the human condition.”

Fine art photographer George Diebold sees the people and places behind the scenes and travels the United States in search of “Hidden America.” He strives to capture what others rarely notice.

Hinson says that’s exactly why the museum is proud to include two of Diebold’s images in its permanent photography collection.

We have a large collection of photography and we regularly rotate it to show different aspects of the unique mindset of today’s contemporary photographers — artists who travel far and wide to find hidden subject matter,” Hinson explains. “Diebold’s work very much fits into our idea of what’s really beautiful about this country.”

Two of Diebold’s pieces, New Mexico Gas Station and Mall Trees in Snowstorm, were accepted into the museum’s permanent collection in 2010. “Both of the pieces have a very eerie quality. The setting and lighting add to the feeling of achiness and isolation photographers  experience when wandering the vast landscape of America. ”

NEW MEXICO GAS STATION (C) George Diebold

Hinson retired as curator of the museum at the end of 2010, after 38 years of commitment to finding and including photographs from this country’s most amazing “Hidden America” documentarians. Diebold images, he says,  “resonate with our visitors and really enrich the dialogue we are trying to continue.”

For more information about acquiring a George Diebold image for your own collection, contact us at george@georgediebold.com.

Did you get your copy of “Picture This…with George Diebold Photography?” It’s a great eNewsletter that is unlike anything else cluttering up your inbox these days. Each week, George will select one of his favorite images and share it with subscribers to his eNewsletter.

If you didn’t receive the first installment yet, please email us at george@georgediebold.com and we will include you in next week’s mailing.

Television personality and internationally recognized interior designer Christopher Lowell, in a recent phone interview, spoke about the best ways to use photography in small or difficult-to-decorate spaces.

When you see a photograph you love, you know it. There is nothing that can create an emotional attachment like a photograph that speaks to you, he said.

Whether you are decorating a small room or an entire house, carefully chosen and placed photographs can really add warmth and intrigue – especially when guests visit.

If you are working with one room, go big and bold, Lowell advised. “I look for something that is generally single subject. I want it to be easily understood and texture driven,” said Lowell. “George Diebold’s images offer both splashes of color and focus on the architecture of a scene.

“For example, a piece like Water Fountain has the ability to be easily understood and really be an eye popper because it’s texture driven rather than subject driven.”

Lowell added that a photograph that makes something abstract out of something you don’t normally view as abstract is a great way to create excitement in a room and draw the eye away from negative areas.

If you are looking to add intrigue throughout your home, consider decorating smaller nooks and crannies such as walls along staircases or hallways leading to bathrooms.

Lowell says he is intrigued by Diebold’s work because he feels many of the pieces featured on www.georgediebold.com can be easily incorporated into a space to create a “wow” factor.

“The key to working with photography is simple. If you love it and can think of a way to easily integrate it into your overall design. Use it. Decorate around it. Be proud to hang it and proud to show it off!”

NEW YORK (AP) — A 1999 photograph of the Rhine river by German artist Andreas Gursky has sold for $4.3 million in New York City, setting a record for any photograph sold at auction.

Titled “Rhein II,” the chromogenic color print face-mounted to acrylic glass, had a pre-sale estimate of $2.5 million to $3.5 million.

It sold at Christie’s. The buyer, a German art collector, was not disclosed.

The previous record for any photography sold at auction was Cindy Sherman’s “Untitled,” which fetched $3.8 million at Christie’s in May.

Gursky’s panoramic image of the Rhine is one of an edition of six photographs. Four are in major museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Tate Modern in London.

George’s 2 Cents: As a working photographer, I tend to first analyze an image based on how hard it might have been for the artist to execute it. I think we all do this. If you look at the Sistine Chapel it certainly looks like more work went into it then say throwing buckets of paint on a canvas and watching it drip. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and, in this case, hopefully the buyer thought his or her money was well spent… It’s tough to tell what goes on at a particular auction and I wouldn’t look at this sale as any kind of trend. On the other hand, it does raise the bar and pull everything else along with it.”

An interesting commentary:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2011/11/15/142342119/meet-the-worlds-most-expensive-photo-part-ii

Christie’s describes the photograph (audio)…

http://www.christies.com/features/andreas-gursky-rhein-ii-1844-4.aspx