High in the Morning

Description

High in the Morning

Maynard Dixon, 1933

This striking close-up of the Great White Throne, a landmark at the entrance to Zion National Park, is the antithesis of Dixon’s more typical images of vast western horizons. The massive rock formations fill the picture plane with little sky showing above. There is also minimal foreground, diminishing the sense of distance between the viewer and the landscape, made all the more dramatic by the brilliant light and contrasting shadows of a late afternoon sun.

High in the Morning was displayed in The First 100 Years exhibition.

What’s Going On?

The image is that of formations of monumental rock mountains. The immediate foreground is of grey colored boulders that emerge from the left and right corners of the canvas.  Behind, dropping down, are sheer rocks that are clay color, a small tree growing out of the right of center.  The background mountains return to the gray tones of the foreground.  The light blue sky is dotted with sparse clouds.

More About Dixon

Originally from California, Dixon painted subjects in both Arizona and New Mexico. He eventually settled in Southern Utah. There he developed his signature style of unique compositions. These often featured low horizons and simplified, yet imposing clouds and rock formations in bold colors.

Dixon also focused on preserving the image of Native American peoples whom he believed were disappearing from the American West. While married to the famous photographer Dorothea Lange, Dixon also focused on social realist subjects. These depicted people struggling to make a living during the Great Depression.