Encounters: Photography from the Sheldon Museum of Art Edited by Brandon K. Ruud (review)

In an increasingly connected world, photography has the ability to depict cultures near and far, transmitting ideas and perceptions around the globe. The intersection of cultures and the role of photography within these encounters is the topic of this recent publication, which proves to be an apt lens for analyzing the photography collection of the Sheldon Museum of Art in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Brandon K. Ruud, the Sheldon’s curator of transnational American art and editor of Encounters, creates the framework for addressing transnationalism within six sections, including discussions of technology, gender, and international exchanges. Extending this methodology, Ruud turns transnationalism into “a metaphor for analyzing exchanges that occur on a scale smaller than that of nations” in order “to explore encounters internal to the United States.” Looking at how transnationalism applies within the United States is an interesting approach. Encounters successfully references America’s melting-pot foundation while emphasizing the rich multiculturalism, rather than the homogeneity, present within its borders. Although the Sheldon is identified as an American art museum, the international scope of its photography collection gives validity to the publication’s chosen theme by demonstrating how travel, immigration, and foreign relationships impact American culture.

Spanning the medium’s history, the publication contains over one hundred quality reproductions of the Sheldon’s collection. While the book is thematic in approach, each section loosely follows a chronological order, showing a progression in photographic aesthetics that also contextualizes the evolution of contemporary thought. The occasional contemporary work appearing out of place and surrounded by nineteenth-century works enlivens the viewing, as readers discover interesting juxtapositions that allow them to create their own connections between images. An attractively formatted publication, Encounters establishes the strength and diversity of the Sheldon Museum of Art’s photography collection, certainly one worth seeing.

The book’s ambition is commendable and reflects the Sheldon’s commitment to advancing the critical study of photography. However, the extensive range of topics, coupled with the poetic language of the chapter introductions, tend to obscure the book’s intent and flow, making it difficult to find connections between sections. Additionally, many of the individual photo descriptions do not overtly refer to transnationalism, once again muddling the overall theme. With that said, the descriptions are extensively detailed with interesting anecdotes and formal analyses, making this volume accessible, and rightly so, not only to scholars but also to the more diverse audience who may visit this university museum.