Laura Wilson (photographer)
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Laura Cunningham Wilson (born October 13, 1939) is an American photographer. She has completed five books of photography and text: ''Watt Matthews of Lambshead'' (1989), ''Hutterites of Montana'' (2000), ''Avedon at Work: In the American West'' (2003), ''Grit and Glory: Six-Man Football'' (2003), and ''That Day: Pictures in the American West'' (2015). She is the mother of actors
Owen Wilson Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an American actor. He has had a long association with filmmaker Wes Anderson with whom he shared writing and acting credits for '' Bottle Rocket'' (1996), '' Rushmore'' (1998), and '' The Royal ...
, Andrew Wilson, and Luke Wilson.


Life and career

Wilson was born Laura Cunningham and raised in
Norwell, Massachusetts Norwell is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,351 at the 2020 United States census. The town's southeastern border runs along the North River. History Norwell was first settled in 1634 as a part of ...
, the daughter of Rosemary Cunningham ( née White) and Edward J. Cunningham. She majored in art at
Connecticut College Connecticut College (Conn College or Conn) is a private liberal arts college in New London, Connecticut. It is a residential, four-year undergraduate institution with nearly all of its approximately 1,815 students living on campus. The college w ...
, graduating in 1961. She married Robert Wilson in 1963, and the couple moved to Dallas, Texas, in 1965. Wilson's attraction to photographs started as a young girl when she became interested in family photographs. Some of her earliest photographs are of her three young sons: "I had majored in painting in college. But with three little boys underfoot, I didn't have time to lift a paintbrush. Then a friend gave me a camera. I realized at once that the boys were perfect subjects." Wilson's son Owen credits his and his brothers' comfort in front of a camera to being frequently photographed by their mother. Wilson's professional career was launched in 1979 when
Richard Avedon Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. He worked for ''Harper's Bazaar'', ''Vogue'' and ''Elle'' specializing in capturing movement in still pictures of fashion, theater and danc ...
hired her to assist with his exhibition and book ''In the American West'', which was commissioned by the
Amon Carter Museum Amon may refer to: Mythology * Amun, an Ancient Egyptian deity, also known as Amon and Amon-Ra * Aamon, a Goetic demon People Momonym * Amon of Judah ( 664– 640 BC), king of Judah Given name * Amon G. Carter (1879–1955), American ...
. Wilson traveled with Avedon for six years, helping him find subjects to photograph. Wilson also wrote the text for '' In the American West''. Wilson's work with Avedon helped her become deeply familiar with the West and provided inspiration for her later projects. Wilson's photographs acknowledge the spectrum of cultures that occupy the West. During the period she worked with Avedon, Wilson arrived at her interest in photographing people outside of mainstream America. "I became interested in men and women who are trying to live an idealized life against the odds." In a January 2018 interview she described her artistic attraction to isolated groups of people, saying, "I am drawn to people who live in an enclosed world — those people who live in isolated communities, whether by circumstance or accomplishment; I was curious about these groups and wanted to know more... my wish, as Eudora Welty wrote, 'would be not to point the finger in judgement but to part a curtain, that invisible shadow that falls between people.'" Wilson frequently refers to photography's ability to mitigate loss and the fleeting nature of life. Wilson has lectured on photography at
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
, the
International Center of Photography The International Center of Photography (ICP), at 79 Essex Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City, consists of a museum for photography and visual culture and a school offering an array of educational courses and programming. ...
in New York City, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the
University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,07 ...
. She is a member of the
Texas Institute of Letters The Texas Institute of Letters is a non-profit Honor Society founded by William Harvey Vann in 1936 to celebrate Texas literature and to recognize distinctive literary achievement. The TIL’s elected membership consists of the state’s most respe ...
and the
Philosophical Society of Texas Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some s ...
. She serves on the board of the William P. Clements Center for Southwest Studies at
Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = "The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , ...
. In 2019, she was inducted into the
National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is located in Fort Worth, Texas, US. Established in 1975, it is dedicated to honoring women of the American West who have displayed extraordinary courage and pioneering fortitude. The museum is an edu ...
.


Books

Wilson has completed five books of photography and text: ''Watt Matthews of Lambshead'' (1989) is a photographic essay about one of the last Texas cattlemen. Matthews lived his entire life on the famous Lambshead Ranch, located west of Fort Worth. In Matthews' obituary, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' wrote that the book has become "a classic of Texas history." The book was described by Texas State Historical Association Director Ron Tyler as "an unusual combination of subject and author-artist." ''Hutterites of Montana'' (2000) documents the
Hutterite Hutterites (german: link=no, Hutterer), also called Hutterian Brethren (German: ), are a communal ethnoreligious branch of Anabaptists, who, like the Amish and Mennonites, trace their roots to the Radical Reformation of the early 16th century ...
communities of the American West. Wilson's interest in the Hutterites began during her work with Avedon: "Still vivid in my mind is my first glimpse of the Hutterites. I was working for Richard Avedon and we were driving in Montana at dusk. There was a lovely pink sunset. We saw in the distance an open meadow of wheat, figures walking. The girls were in long, colorful dresses, like Christian LaCroix, the boys in white shirts and black pants." Hutterite communities generally do not allow photography, but Wilson visited Montana Hutterite communities many times and eventually received permission to take photos. ''Avedon at Work: In the American West'' (2003) is a portrait of photographer
Richard Avedon Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. He worked for ''Harper's Bazaar'', ''Vogue'' and ''Elle'' specializing in capturing movement in still pictures of fashion, theater and danc ...
that shows Avedon's creative process, working methods, and range of subjects as he worked to complete ''In the American West''. Wilson documented Avedon's work throughout the six years they spent working on the project, and the book describes their work on the project. ''Grit and Glory: Six-Man Football'' (2003) documents
six-man football Six-man football is a variant of gridiron football played with six players per team, instead of the standard 11 or 12. It is generally played by high schools in rural areas of the United States and Canada. History Six-man football was developed ...
and its culture in small Texas towns. ''That Day: Pictures in the American West'' (2015) includes photographs in the American West accompanied by Wilson's observations from the time each photograph was taken.
Larry McMurtry Larry Jeff McMurtry (June 3, 1936March 25, 2021) was an American novelist, essayist, bookseller and screenwriter whose work was predominantly set in either the Old West or contemporary Texas.
wrote, "Laura Wilson has an ever-searching eye for the bleak beauty of the West — and for its bleak reality too. ''That Day'' is a remarkable book." Andrew R. Graybill, Director of the William P. Clements Center for Southwest Studies, noted that the book "combines her talents for capturing the West's enduring and romantic myths, from legendary cattle ranches to dramatic panoramic vistas, as well as its bleak realities, whether undocumented migrants crossing the Rio Grande or life on the
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation ( lkt, Wazí Aháŋhaŋ Oyáŋke), also called Pine Ridge Agency, is an Oglala Lakota Indian reservation located entirely within the U.S. state of South Dakota. Originally included within the territory of the Gr ...
."


Personal life

Wilson lives in Dallas, Texas, and is the mother of actors
Andrew Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in List of countries where English is an official language, English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is freq ...
,
Owen Owen may refer to: Origin: The name Owen is of Irish and Welsh origin. Its meanings range from noble, youthful, and well-born. Gender: Owen is historically the masculine form of the name. Popular feminine variations include Eowyn and Owena. ...
, and Luke, and grandparent to six grandchildren through Andrew and Owen. She was married to TV Station executive Robert A. Wilson, until his death from Alzheimer's disease on May 5, 2017.


Publications

*''Watt Matthews of Lambshead.''
Texas State Historical Association The Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) is a non-profit educational organization, dedicated to documenting the history of Texas. It was founded in Austin, Texas, on March 2, 1897. , TSHA moved their offices from Austin to the University of ...
, 1989. . * ''Hutterites of Montana.''
Yale University Press Yale University Press is the university press of Yale University. It was founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day, and became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but it remains financially and operationally autonomous. , Yale Universi ...
, 2000. . * ''Avedon at Work: In the American West.''
University of Texas Press The University of Texas Press (or UT Press) is a university press that is part of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly books and journals in several areas, including Latin American studies, Texan ...
, 2003. . * ''Grit and Glory: Six-Man Football.'' Bright Sky Press, 2003. . *''Our Architecture: Arts & Humanities DFW/2012''.  Dallas, Tex.: Dallas Architecture Forum, 2012 * ''That Day: Pictures in the American West''. Yale University Press, 2015. .


Exhibitions

*''Watt Matthews of Lambshead'',
Irving Arts Center The Irving Arts Center, located in Irving, Texas, is a 10-acre art center that caters to all ages within the community. The center contains over 91,500 square feet of performing and visual arts space which includes a 3,800 square-foot Main Gallery ...
, 1994 *Photographs from ''Avedon at Work,''
Amon Carter Museum of American Art Amon may refer to: Mythology * Amun, an Ancient Egyptian deity, also known as Amon and Amon-Ra * Aamon, a Goetic demon People Momonym * Amon of Judah ( 664– 640 BC), king of Judah Given name * Amon G. Carter (1879–1955), American pu ...
, Fort Worth, Texas, September 2005 * Photographs from ''Grit & Glory,''
Meadows Museum The Meadows Museum, nicknamed "Prado on the Prairie", is a two-story, 66,000 sq. ft.art museum in Dallas, Texas on the campus of Southern Methodist University (SMU). Operating as a division of SMU's Meadows School of the Arts, the museum houses one ...
,
Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = "The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , ...
, 2011 * ''That Day: Laura Wilson,'' Amon Carter Museum of American Art, September 2015 – February 2016 * ''That Day: Laura Wilson,''
Booth Western Art Museum Booth Western Art Museum, located in Cartersville, Georgia, is a museum dedicated to the Western United States. It is one of only two museums of its kind in the Southeastern United States, the other being the James Museum of Western and Wildlife ...
, January 2018 – April 2018 *''Laura Wilson: Looking West'',
National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is located in Fort Worth, Texas, US. Established in 1975, it is dedicated to honoring women of the American West who have displayed extraordinary courage and pioneering fortitude. The museum is an edu ...
, October 3, 2019 – March 15, 2020


References


External links

* *
Amon Carter Museum Presents Laura Wilson: Avedon at Work
, Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Laura 1939 births American women photographers Artists from Massachusetts Artists from Sacramento, California Connecticut College alumni Living people People from Fort Worth, Texas American portrait photographers Southern Methodist University faculty American women academics 21st-century American women