John Goodman: not recent color

Comprised of brilliant color photographs, the majority of which have never before been exhibited, John Goodman: not recent color examines the American cultural landscape through the coming of age of a young artist in the 1970s and 1980s.

Made from recently rediscovered Kodachrome and Ektachrome slides, these photographs transport viewers to another time with their richly saturated colors and cinematic views. Piercing yet tender images shot in diners, bowling alleys, and darkened theaters, outside phone booths and gas stations, and on city streets and sidewalks conjure moments in individual lives and social interactions that together tell a story about the slowly changing social fabric of Goodman’s studio neighborhood in Boston––and the country at large.

Predating the work for which Goodman is best known—poignant and gritty photographs capturing subjects such as Boston’s famed Combat Zone, backstage at the Boston Ballet, the streets of Havana, and a Times Square boxing gym—these early works announce a lifelong interest in recording fleeting moments, as well as the more abstract and enduring essence of places and people. ​​​​