Accession Number
1983/1.295.11

Title
Cain House and Methodist Church

Artist(s)
George A. Tice

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1965; printed 1971

Medium & Support
gelatin silver print on paper

Dimensions
14 1/8 in x 11 in (35.88 cm x 27.94 cm);19 5/16 in x 14 5/16 in (49.05 cm x 36.35 cm);4 1/2 in x 6 7/16 in (11.43 cm x 16.35 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of the Marvin Felheim Collection

Subject matter
The eleventh print in a portfolio of twelve photographs that document the former gold town of Bodie, California, this image depicts a row of wooden buildings set against a dramatic, cloud-studded sky. Tice has divided the composition into three distinct fields: in the foreground, grass and the detritus of a wooden fence—in a state of construction or decomposition, it is difficult to tell—communicates the rustic environment of the town. At middle ground, the photographer has positioned the row of houses, shot from an oblique angle that throws the buildings into deep shadow, drawing attention to their A-line rooves and simple, geometric forms. Finally, the upper third of the picture consists of the sky with clouds that appear to be swiftly streaking by. Tice captures the temporal tension between the brisk sensation of movement in the sky and the solid, seemingly permanent houses below, although the knowledge that the town of Bodie has been abandoned suggests both aspects of the image offer a reflection on the passage of time.

Physical Description
A photograph of three wooden buildings in a rural landscape.

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
buildings (structures)
churches
clouds
ghost towns
gold towns
house
log houses
modern and contemporary art
parish churches (buildings)
rural communities
streets