Edenton (work of art)
Artwork Info
Key Ideas
- Elizabeth Matheson is a North Carolina photographer. Her images feature architecture and landscapes without people.
- The composition of this photograph emphasizes patterns of lines and angles.
- Edenton was once the capital of North Carolina. This historic town is located on the Albemarle Sound, along the Outer Banks.
Learn More
Elizabeth Matheson is a native of Hillsborough, North Carolina. She is known for her photographs of architecture, landscapes, and home interiors in the American South. Matheson chooses to photograph spaces where no people are visible, but traces of their existence are. Her images often reveal the beauty in ordinary places, with a focus on light and shadow.
I photograph what delights me and asks for my attention . . . I know that at any moment light can beautify the most ordinary corner of the most ordinary yard and that these small jolts of elation can be captured.
Elizabeth Matheson
In Edenton Matheson uses a composition that emphasizes patterns of strong lines and angles, in both the architecture and the natural scenery. Her vantage point in this photograph is the second-story porch of a historic home overlooking the Albemarle Sound in Edenton, North Carolina. One of the oldest towns in the state, Edenton served as North Carolina’s capital from 1722 to 1743.
tags: black and white, water, coast, horizon, weather
Additional Resources
Resources for Teachers
- Read an article about the series of photographs Matheson made with her cellphone camera during Covid-19 pandemic.
- Visit a virtual gallery of Matheson’s photographs of places she visited in Cuba.
- Read an article about the use of strong lines in photography compositions.
Resources for Students
- Watch a video of Matheson describing her decision to work primarily in black and white.
- Watch a video of Matheson describing the places she likes to photograph.
- Watch a video of Matheson explaining why she chooses to photograph landscapes without people in them.
Images
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Edenton