Agave at El Mat’s

Maker Englander, Joe American, b. 1947

Date1980; printed 1982

MediumGelatin silver print

Dimensionsimage/paper: 13 1/4 in x 16 5/8 in

Credit LineGift of the artist

Object number1982:98

About the ArtistBorn in California in 1947, Joseph Englander has been active as a commercial and artistic photographer since the publication of his first book in the mid-1970s. He has led photographic workshops since 1981, when he assisted at Ansel Adams’ workshops. In 1990, he began leading international photographic tours, initially throughout Europe and Asia, and increasingly since 1996, in the Himalayan Mountain range.

Englander made the photograph Agave at El Mat's in 1980 in what was then the small town of Austin, Texas, using a large-format camera with 8x10 film. Describing the image, he writes, "El Mat’s was a popular but aging Tex-Mex restaurant at the time. That area of Austin was completely 'redeveloped' in the mid-1980s technology boom leaving no trace of its interesting multi-cultural heritage."