Taryn Simon: An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, Beverly Hills, September 13–October 25, 2008

Works Exhibited

Taryn Simon, Nuclear Waste Encapsulation and Storage Facility, Cherenkov Radiation; Hanford Site, U.S. Department of Energy, Southeastern Washington State, 2005–07, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic color print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon — Taryn Simon, *Nuclear Waste Encapsulation and Storage Facility, Cherenkov Radiation; Hanford Site, U.S. Department of Energy, Southeastern Washington State,* 2005–07, from the series *An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar*, 2007
Chromogenic color print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP
© Taryn Simon

Taryn Simon, Cryopreservation Unit, Cryonics Institute, Clinton Township, Michigan, 2004–07, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon — Taryn Simon, *Cryopreservation Unit, Cryonics Institute, Clinton Township, Michigan*, 2004–07, from the series *An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar*, 2007
Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP
© Taryn Simon

Taryn Simon, Playboy, Braille Edition, Playboy Enterprises, Inc. New York, New York, 2006–07, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon — Taryn Simon, *Playboy, Braille Edition, Playboy Enterprises, Inc. New York, New York*, 2006–07, from the series *An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar*, 2007
Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP
© Taryn Simon

Taryn Simon, Fireworks by Grucci, Northern Test Site, Corporate Headquarters, Brookhaven, New York, 2006–07, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon — Taryn Simon, *Fireworks by Grucci, Northern Test Site, Corporate Headquarters, Brookhaven, New York*, 2006–07, from the series *An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar*, 2007
Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP
© Taryn Simon

Taryn Simon, Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum Revolver Frame, Smith & Wesson Headquarters, Springfield, Massachusetts, 2004–07, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon — Taryn Simon, *Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum Revolver Frame, Smith & Wesson Headquarters, Springfield, Massachusetts*, 2004–07, from the series *An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar*, 2007
Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP
© Taryn Simon

Taryn Simon, White Tiger (Kenny), Selective Inbreeding, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge and Foundation, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon — Taryn Simon, *White Tiger (Kenny), Selective Inbreeding, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge and Foundation, Eureka Springs, Arkansas*, from the series *An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar*, 2007
Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP
© Taryn Simon

Taryn Simon, Hibernating Black Bear and Cubs, Bear Den, Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia, 2005–07, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon — Taryn Simon, *Hibernating Black Bear and Cubs, Bear Den, Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia,* 2005–07, from the series *An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar*, 2007
Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP
© Taryn Simon

Taryn Simon, Alhurra TV, Broadcast Studio, Springfield, Virginia, 2006–07, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon — Taryn Simon, *Alhurra TV, Broadcast Studio, Springfield, Virginia,* 2006–07, from the series *An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar*, 2007
Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP
© Taryn Simon

Taryn Simon, Avian Quarantine Facility, The New York Animal Import Center, Newburgh, New York, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon — Taryn Simon, *Avian Quarantine Facility, The New York Animal Import Center, Newburgh, New York*, from the series *An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar*, 2007
Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP
© Taryn Simon

Taryn Simon, Research Marijuana Crop Grow Room, National Center for Natural Products Research, Oxford, Mississippi, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon — Taryn Simon, *Research Marijuana Crop Grow Room, National Center for Natural Products Research, Oxford, Mississippi*, from the series *An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar*, 2007
Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP
© Taryn Simon

Taryn Simon, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Contraband Room, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Queens, New York, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon — Taryn Simon, *U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Contraband Room, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Queens, New York*, from the series *An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar*, 2007
Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP
© Taryn Simon

Taryn Simon, A Rejection, 2006/07. Silkscreened text on metal plate, 26 ¼ × 18 ¼ inches (66.7 × 46.4 cm), edition of 7 — Taryn Simon
*A Rejection*, 2006/07
Silkscreened text on metal plate, 26 ¼ × 18 ¼ inches (66.7 × 46.4 cm), edition of 7

Thumbnail - Taryn Simon, Nuclear Waste Encapsulation and Storage Facility, Cherenkov Radiation; Hanford Site, U.S. Department of Energy, Southeastern Washington State, 2005–07, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic color print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon

Thumbnail - Taryn Simon, Cryopreservation Unit, Cryonics Institute, Clinton Township, Michigan, 2004–07, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon

Thumbnail - Taryn Simon, Playboy, Braille Edition, Playboy Enterprises, Inc. New York, New York, 2006–07, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon

Thumbnail - Taryn Simon, Fireworks by Grucci, Northern Test Site, Corporate Headquarters, Brookhaven, New York, 2006–07, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon

Thumbnail - Taryn Simon, Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum Revolver Frame, Smith & Wesson Headquarters, Springfield, Massachusetts, 2004–07, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon

Thumbnail - Taryn Simon, White Tiger (Kenny), Selective Inbreeding, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge and Foundation, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon

Thumbnail - Taryn Simon, Hibernating Black Bear and Cubs, Bear Den, Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia, 2005–07, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon

Thumbnail - Taryn Simon, Alhurra TV, Broadcast Studio, Springfield, Virginia, 2006–07, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon

Thumbnail - Taryn Simon, Avian Quarantine Facility, The New York Animal Import Center, Newburgh, New York, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon

Thumbnail - Taryn Simon, Research Marijuana Crop Grow Room, National Center for Natural Products Research, Oxford, Mississippi, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon

Thumbnail - Taryn Simon, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Contraband Room, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Queens, New York, from the series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, 2007. Chromogenic print, framed: 37 ¼ × 44 ½ inches (94.6 × 113 cm), edition of 7 + 2 AP © Taryn Simon

Thumbnail - Taryn Simon, A Rejection, 2006/07. Silkscreened text on metal plate, 26 ¼ × 18 ¼ inches (66.7 × 46.4 cm), edition of 7

About

What is not known, rarely seen, possesses a form of occult glamour, and it is that black beauty which [Simon] so brightly, and brilliantly, reveals.
—Salman Rushdie

Gagosian Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition by Taryn Simon. This will be the first viewing of her series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar in Los Angeles.

In this body of work spanning over four years, Taryn Simon confronts the obstacles facing public access to expert knowledge by offering entry, via photography to a selection of restricted or rarely discovered sites across the United States. The resulting series is an exposé of the unseen realities beneath the surface of modern American culture. Simon documents subjects from a wide span of cultural sub-headings, including nature, science, government, and religion. Her photographs range from eccentric to haunting, from a copy of Playboy written in Braille to a portrait of a cancer ridden patient fighting for the right to end his life. She uses a large-format view camera when conditions permit, and each of her compositions is accompanied by a text explaining subject and context. The addition of word to image underscores Simon’s dual role as voyeur and informant. An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar reveals that for every visible facet of American culture there is an obscured recess equally fundamental to the framework of a national identity.

Artist

Taryn Simon

Download

Press release (pdf)

Contact

From the Quarterly

Now available
Gagosian Quarterly Summer 2023

The Summer 2023 issue of Gagosian Quarterly is now available, featuring Richard Avedon’s Marilyn Monroe, actor, New York, May 6, 1957 on its cover.

Now available
Gagosian Quarterly Fall 2022

The Fall 2022 issue of Gagosian Quarterly is now available, featuring Jordan Wolfson’s House with Face (2017) on its cover.

In Conversation
Taryn Simon and Teju Cole

This spring, as part of the Lambert Family Lecture Series at the Wexner Center for the Arts, Taryn Simon joined Teju Cole for an online conversation about her artistic practice and creative process.

Taryn Simon: An Occupation of Loss

In Taryn Simon’s performance work An Occupation of Loss (2016), professional mourners enact rituals of grief, simultaneously broadcasting their lamentations from within a sculptural installation. This video by filmmaker Boris B. Bertram documents the April 2018 performance of this work with Artangel in Islington, London.

The New York Public Library’s Picture Collection

Joshua Chuang, the Robert B. Menschel Senior Curator of Photography at the New York Public Library, discusses the institution’s singular Picture Collection, the artist Taryn Simon’s rigorous engagement with it, and four instances of its little-known role in the history of art making.

Now available
Gagosian Quarterly Summer 2021

The Summer 2021 issue of Gagosian Quarterly is now available, featuring Carrie Mae Weems’s The Louvre (2006) on its cover.

Cast of Characters

James Lawrence explores how contemporary artists have grappled with the subject of the library.

Now available
Gagosian Quarterly Summer 2019

The Summer 2019 issue of Gagosian Quarterly is now available, featuring a detail from Afrylic by Ellen Gallagher on its cover.

From Mortal Bodies to Immortal Crowds

Two immersive installations by Taryn Simon presented at MASS MoCA in 2018–19 examined the rituals of cold-water plunges and applause. Text by Angela Brown.

The Bigger Picture
Free Arts NYC

Meredith Mendelsohn discusses the impact of Free Arts NYC and its mission to foster creativity in children and teens, on the occasion of its twenty-year anniversary.