Ralph Eugene Meatyard: Abstractions

From 1957 to 1972, Meatyard undertook several different conceptual projects exploring the possibilities of abstraction in photography. In these works, he evokes a world not normally acknowledged with the human eye.

Black-and-white close-up photograph of a foaming, marble-textured liquid surface

Black-and-white photograph of a foaming, marble-textured liquid surface

Black-and-white close-up photograph of a scratched glass surface

Black-and-white photograph of a partly-submerged rock in moving water reflecting pine branches above

Black-and-white photograph of an abstract pattern of black blobs and swirls on a dark gray background

Black-and-white photograph of a soaped-up window with squiggles and letters drawn into it

Black-and-white photograph of a cracked pane of glass with spider-like converging fracture patterns

Black-and-white photograph of the texture of a soaped-up window

Ralph Eugene Meatyard: Abstractions

Ralph Eugene MeatyardIce

ca. 1963

gelatin silver print, 14 x 11 inches (mount) [35.6 x 27.9 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

1959

gelatin silver print, 14 x 11 inches (mount) [35.6 x 27.9 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

1959

gelatin silver print, 14 x 11 inches (mount) [35.6 x 27.9 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardChapter Life #4

1963

gelatin silver print, 13 x 10 inches (mount) [33.0 x 25.4 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

ca. 1958

gelatin silver print, 14 x 11 inches (mount) [35.6 x 27.9 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

ca. 1957

gelatin silver print, 7-3/4 x 10-1/8 inches (sheet) [19.7 x 25.7 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

1959

gelatin silver print, 7 x 5-3/4 inches (sheet) [17.8 x 14.6 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

1959

gelatin silver print, 7-3/8 x 7 inches (sheet) [18.6 x 17.8 cm]

Black-and-white photograph of two people in rubber masks standing against a hedgerow

Ralph Eugene Meatyard: The Family Album of Lucybelle Crater

The series presents portraits of the artist’s wife wearing a dime-store hag’s mask, paired with various family members and friends who wear a transparent hard-plastic mask. The titles of the images outline cryptic relationships, and in all instances, both figures are identified by the same name: Lucybelle Crater.

Black-and-white photograph of two people in rubber masks standing on the front steps of a brick home — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Lucybelle Crater and Eastern man’s friend Lucybelle Crater, 1970-72

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Black-and-white photograph of two people in rubber masks standing in front of a wire fence — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, One of seven kids of Mertonian friend, 1970-72

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Black-and-white photograph of two people in rubber masks seated before a small garden — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Lucybelle Crater and her regular mother Lucybelle Crater, 1970-72

gelatin silver print, 11-1/2 x 9-5/8 inches (mount) [29.2 x 22.9 cm]

Black-and-white photograph of two people in rubber masks standing by an ajar wooden gate — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Lucybelle Crater and gnomist friend from W 6th St’s friend from Vassar College, Lucybelle Crater, 1970-72

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Black-and-white photograph of an adult and child in rubber masks standing behind a clothesline with a few garments — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Untitled, 1970-72

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Black-and-white photograph of two people in rubber masks standing next to a lattice-in porch of a brick building — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Lucybelle Crater and bibliophilic friend Lucybelle Crater, 1970-72

gelatin silver print, 11-3/8 x 9-5/8 inches (mount) [28.8 x 24.5 cm]

Black-and-white photograph of two people in rubber masks seated on a low convertible car — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Untitled, 1970-72

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Black-and-white photograph of two people in rubber masks standing in front of a screened-in terrace — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Lucybelle Crater and her friend with a different Jargon, Lucybelle Crater, 1970-72

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Black-and-white photograph of a couple wearing rubber masks seated in the grass in front of a car — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Lucybelle Crater and her P.O. brother Lucybelle Crater, 1970-72

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardLucybelle Crater and her 40 year old husband Lucybelle Crater

1970-72

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardLucybelle Crater and Eastern man’s friend Lucybelle Crater

1970-72

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardOne of seven kids of Mertonian friend

1970-72

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardLucybelle Crater and her regular mother Lucybelle Crater

1970-72

gelatin silver print, 11-1/2 x 9-5/8 inches (mount) [29.2 x 22.9 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardLucybelle Crater and gnomist friend from W 6th St’s friend from Vassar College, Lucybelle Crater

1970-72

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

1970-72

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardLucybelle Crater and bibliophilic friend Lucybelle Crater

1970-72

gelatin silver print, 11-3/8 x 9-5/8 inches (mount) [28.8 x 24.5 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

1970-72

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardLucybelle Crater and her friend with a different Jargon, Lucybelle Crater

1970-72

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardLucybelle Crater and her P.O. brother Lucybelle Crater

1970-72

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Ralph Eugene Meatyard: Romances

A fervent reader, Meatyard was deeply influenced by the writer Ambrose Bierce’s definition in The Devil’s Dictionary: “ROMANCE, n. Fiction that owes no allegiance to the God of Things as They Are.”

Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Untitled, 1963

gelatin silver print, 14 x 11 inches (mount)

Black-and-white photograph of a young boy in a hooded sweatshirt looking through a door with missing panels from a decrepit room — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Untitled, 1960

gelatin silver print, 13 x 10 inches (mount) [33.0 x 25.4 cm]

Black and white photograph of young girl backlit by exterior light — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Untitled, 1966

gelatin silver print, 14 x 11 inches (mount) [35.6 x 27.9 cm]

Black-and-white photograph of a young boy sitting in front of a shuttered loading dock — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Untitled, ca. 1955-56

gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 inches (sheet) [27.9 x 35.6 cm]

Black-and-white photograph of a person's slightly out-of-focus and shadowed face beneath a strand of twine coming through a window — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Untitled, 1960

gelatin-silver print, 6-1/4 x 6-1/2 inches (image & sheet) [15.9 x 16.5 cm]

Black-and-white photograph of a young girl crawling through grass in a garden — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Untitled, 1960

gelatin-silver print, 13 x 10 inches (sheet) [33.0 x 25.4 cm]

Black-and-white photograph of a man standing next to a cracked mirror — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Untitled, 1960

gelatin silver print, 7-1/2 x 7-3/4 inches (sheet) [19.1 x 19.7 cm]

Black-and-white photograph of a young boy in motion next to a blank white external wall — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Untitled, ca. 1954-56

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Black-and-white photograph of two figures seated in an attic room next to a square window — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Untitled, ca. 1968

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Black and white photograph of motion blurred individual in front of wood paneled wall — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Untitled, 1961

gelatin silver print, 7 x 6-1/2 inches (image & sheet) [17.8 x 16.5 cm]

Black-and-white photograph of a young boy standing in a window frame — Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Untitled, 1955

gelatin silver print, 10 x 8 inches (sheet) [25.4 x 20.3 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

1963

gelatin silver print, 14 x 11 inches (mount)

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

1960

gelatin silver print, 13 x 10 inches (mount) [33.0 x 25.4 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

1966

gelatin silver print, 14 x 11 inches (mount) [35.6 x 27.9 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

ca. 1955-56

gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 inches (sheet) [27.9 x 35.6 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

1960

gelatin-silver print, 6-1/4 x 6-1/2 inches (image & sheet) [15.9 x 16.5 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

1960

gelatin-silver print, 13 x 10 inches (sheet) [33.0 x 25.4 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

1960

gelatin silver print, 7-1/2 x 7-3/4 inches (sheet) [19.1 x 19.7 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

ca. 1954-56

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

ca. 1968

gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (sheet) [20.3 x 25.4 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

1961

gelatin silver print, 7 x 6-1/2 inches (image & sheet) [17.8 x 16.5 cm]

Ralph Eugene MeatyardUntitled

1955

gelatin silver print, 10 x 8 inches (sheet) [25.4 x 20.3 cm]

Black-and-white photograph of a person wearing a rubber mask seated on a slanted surface next to another mask

Ralph Eugene Meatyard: Dolls & Masks

Meatyard’s staged images—set in abandoned spaces and often using masks and props—are at once familiar and enigmatic, reflecting the artist’s fascination with the uncanniness of ordinary life.