Shambroom, our fellow Minneapolitan, is not a trendy name in contemporary photography, but he’s revered by insiders: In one recent book surveying 121 heavy hitters in this medium, more space is devoted to him than to any other. One reason for that might be his dedication. Shambroom doesn’t just address a topic, be it nuclear weaponry or municipal government—he becomes thoroughly immersed, conducting mountains of research, traveling across the country, and taking years to create a series of images. None of that effort is wasted: His photographs are by turns majestic and menacing, eerie and absurd. This survey brings together, for the first time, work from Shambroom’s most important series: Factories, Offices, Nuclear Weapons, Meetings, and Security. Picturing Power will travel to Columbus, Atlanta, and Long Beach. I’d add that it’s also worthy of a stint at MoMA in New York, where another local photographer recently had a survey (see “Also Noted”).
Weisman Art Museum, 333 East River Road, Minneapolis; 612-625-9494.