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Portraits on the Midway
For people-watching, the Fair is unparalleled. And the Midway is probably the best place on the grounds to set up shop, to pause and view the whole parade. Alec Soth, using a large-format camera on a tripod, becomes a still point of observation in the midst of the flow. His calm views of people pursuing the Midway's transient pleasures find order and repose in an environment of flux and chaos. (Look to Peter Martin's hand-held records of Midway motion for contrast.) And, these images allow us to stare, to take our time, a not insignificant opportunity when in real life the parade moves much too fast.

Like every visitor to "The Great Minnesota Get-Together," experienced photographers gravitate towards a particular aspect of Fair culture. Despite an appetite for everything in the amazing sensory spectacle of the Fair, you have to pace yourself, and come back for more another day. The thirteen photographers represented here have considered many aspects of life and physical culture of the fairgrounds, during the twelve days of its season and afterwards, a landscape mothballed for most of the year. This collection of 92 images depicts moods, sensations, animal behavior, and the parade of humanity that each day populates one of the state's largest, though temporary, and most distinctive cities. The photographs show faces, figures, objects, twilight, raking sun, rides, exhibits, and stuff galore. The combined effect of these images is a tasty, virtual walk-through, a free pass to wander the grounds of the Minnesota State Fair.

Viewing the Collection
The Fair collection is arranged for viewing in three ways:
1. Click on one of the photographers listed below, and see all of his or her work in a group (check the Overview for a statement about each artist).
2. View all 92 pieces image by image, working through it in reverse chronological order, by clicking on the Contents tag to the right.
3. Go to the "Fair Culture" subhead below, and click on a topic to pull up a sub-collection. Though I normally don't like to reduce photographs to their content, in the case of this catalogue of the Fair I want to make an exception. People go to the Fair, after all, to both witness the new and unfamiliar and see particular things that they count on from year to year. So, I thought visitors here, on the virtual Fair grounds, might like to find familiar subjects right away, and compare their own versions with these.

I hope you enjoy your visit.

The Photographers
Eric Altenberg
Tom Arndt
Dan Beers
Chris Faust
Glenn Halvorson
Kristine Heykants
Stuart Klipper
Peter Latner
Peter Martin
Robert Meier
Ellen Rutchick
Alec Soth
Valerie Youngquist

The Curator
George Slade is the Artistic Director of the Minnesota Center for Photography in Minneapolis, and administers the McKnight Photography Fellowships program at the University of Minnesota's Department of Art. He is a regular contributor to mnartists.org. He served as the photography juror for the 84th Fine Arts Exhibition at the 1995 Minnesota State Fair. He is a St. Paul resident and an avid Fair-goer (at least twice a year) who is dedicated to taking his two daughters to the Fair every year until they can drive themselves.

Fair Culture (an index)

Agriculture/Horticulture building

Barns (interior views)

Booths

Butter, as sculptural medium

Carnies

Children's Barnyard

Cows

Crowds

Dairy princesses

Dancing

Dogs

Dumpsters

Empire Commons

Food

Food, impaled

Games of skill/chance

Gourds

Grain, as art medium

Grandstand building

Hats

Heritage Square

Horses

International Bazaar building

Lines

Machinery

Marching bands and drill teams

Merchandise

The Midway

Oxen

Parade Floats

Pigs

Politics/politicians

Poultry

Prizes and ribbons

Radio personalities

Reptiles

Rides

Royal American Exposition gateway

Scarecrows

Shadows

Sheep

Sideshows

Signs and banners

Snake Zoo

Strollers and wagons

Tattoos

Visitors Plaza building

MN State Fair, Photography

• Roasted corn 2-fer 2002, Stuart Klipper
• Biggest Boar 2002, Stuart Klipper
• untitled 2002, thomas arndt
• Wildflowers Vacuum Packer 2002, Glenn Halvorson
• Jams & Jellies 2002, Stuart Klipper
• untitled 2002, thomas arndt
• Seedart Ventura Scarecrow 2002, Glenn Halvorson
• KKK Sheep 2002, Stuart Klipper
• untitled State Fair 2002 (horizontal), Daniel James Beers
• Chickens 2002, Stuart Klipper
• untitled 2002, thomas arndt
• Biggest Pumpkin 2002, Stuart Klipper
• untitled 2002, thomas arndt
• Cow Barn 2002, Glenn Halvorson
• Macaroni 'n cheese OAS 2002, Stuart Klipper
• Pronto Pup 2001, Kristine Heykants
• untitled 2001, thomas arndt
• Memory of the Fair #1 2001, Kristine Heykants
• Donuts 2001, Kristine Heykants
• Carousel, Ellen Rutchick
• Lemonade 2000, Kristine Heykants
• Cow Scrutiny 2000, eric altenberg
• Cones 2000, Kristine Heykants
• Soft Serve, Ellen Rutchick
• untitled 1999, thomas arndt
• Diner 1999, Kristine Heykants
• untitled 1999, thomas arndt
• Remix, Ellen Rutchick
• Choice 1998, alec soth
• Win One, Ellen Rutchick
• Couple 1998, alec soth
• NB 1998, alec soth
• Shepherd 1998, alec soth
• Woman in booth 1998, alec soth
• Smoker 1998, alec soth
• Seated Girl 1998, alec soth
• Two women 1998, alec soth
• Young man in overalls 1998, alec soth
• Cheese Curds 1997, Kristine Heykants
• untitled 1997, thomas arndt
• untitled 1996, Valerie Youngquist
• untitled 1996, Valerie Youngquist
• untitled 1996, Valerie Youngquist
• untitled 1996, Valerie Youngquist
• untitled 1996, Valerie Youngquist
• untitled 1996, Valerie Youngquist
• untitled 1996, Valerie Youngquist
• untitled 1996, Valerie Youngquist
• Piglet Pet 1995, eric altenberg
• Supine Bovine 1994, eric altenberg
• untitled 1994, Peter mARTin
• Sheep Shear 1994, eric altenberg
• Dairy Bar 1993, eric altenberg
• Pig Dog 1993, eric altenberg
• Hot Tail 1993, eric altenberg
• Penned Animals 1991, eric altenberg
• Cage Nose 1987, eric altenberg
• untitled 1982, Peter mARTin
• untitled 1982, Peter mARTin
• untitled 1979, Peter mARTin
• untitled 1979, Peter mARTin
• untitled 1979, Peter mARTin
• untitled 1976, Peter mARTin
• untitled 1976, Peter mARTin
• untitled 1976, Peter mARTin
• untitled 1976, Peter mARTin