The Elevated Eye: Aerial Photography Past and Present

Forest Lawn Museum Director James Fishburne’s inaugural exhibition as director marks the Grand Reopening of the newly remodeled Forest Lawn Museum.

Science and technology meet art and beauty in The Elevated Eye: Aerial Photography Past and Present, an exhibition tracing the history of aerial photography, from its origins in the nineteenth century to the boundary-pushing technologies of the twenty-first century, as well as the medium’s parallel progression with flight and the development of Southern California over the course of more than a century. 

The exhibition brings together nearly 150 images along with video, satellite models, and drones from preeminent collections, including Getty Research Institute; Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens; and the Special Collections of Los Angeles Public Library. It includes photographs from Forest Lawn Museum’s permanent collection that have never been displayed publicly as well as work by contemporary artists David Maisel, a 2018 Guggenheim Fellow in the Creative Arts; Jenny Odell, a multi-disciplinary artist and writer; and photographer Lane Barden, whose work traces major corridors of Los Angeles from above. The exhibition includes more than twenty images and mesmerizing video footage by the drone pilot and photographer Chen Ming. Moving beyond the stratosphere, The Elevated Eye features historical images from NASA as well as the work of Erwan Rivault (@earthfromsatellites), a French geographer who uses data from European Space Agency satellites to create stunning images of natural wonders on Earth’s surface.

With some of the most captivating work from Southern California’s premiere collections and diverse content focused on a single theme, The Elevated Eye will capture the imaginations of viewers young and old. 

On view: October 10, 2019–March 8, 2020, Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM, CLOSED MONDAYS

Opening Reception: October 10, 2019, 5:00–8:00 PM, RSVP museum@forestlawn.com