Christmas Day Dinner, Julia Sellner's House, Sleepyeye, Minnesota, from the "Farm Families" project

Maker Arndt, Tom (American, b. 1944)

Date1985

MediumGelatin silver print

Dimensionsimage: 12 3/16 in x 18 5/16 in; mat: 22 in x 28 in; paper: 16 in x 20 in

Credit LineGift of Jack A. Jaffe, Focus/Infinity Fund

Object number1995:691

About the ArtistTom Arndt's photographs from the Changing Chicago documentary project focus on the urban rituals of Chicago's residents, depicting them as they pass on the streets, ride public transit, sit in cafes, or join each other at community events. Arndt writes, "the most interesting aspect of Chicago is, for me, the effect a confining urban context has on the human interaction of the various subcultures that coexist, living, working and playing together." A consistently resourceful street photographer, Arndt captures fleeting gestures and momentary juxtapositions between people and their surroundings, finding in them a sense of emotional or psychological depth.

Arndt received a BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (1968) and did graduate study at the University of Minnesota (1969-1971). His photographs have been exhibited at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Minneapolis Institute of Art; Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and other venues. His work is held in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago; Museum of Modern Art, New York; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; George Eastman House, Rochester, New York; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and Walker Art Center, Minneapolis.