Palm
Springs, in the heart of Southern California, is well known for its abundance
of shimmering blue swimming pools, which are the perfect antidote to the desert sun, a dip
in the pool has long been a favoured pastime in this sunshine state and in
January 2012 Palm Springs Art Museum will showcase a retrospective snapshot of
20th century pool life, offering visitors a chance to dive into its
glamorous past.
The
exhibition, “Backyard Oasis: The Swimming Pool in Southern California
Photography, 1945-1982”, opened in January 2012 at the Palm Springs Art Museum
and is due to run until May 27th 2012.
The
exhibition includes works by David Hockney and Julius Shulman among others, and
features icons of the silver screen, such as Rock Hudson; Richard Gere; Marilyn
Monroe and Olivia de Havilland, often in
private and candid moments – relaxing in their own “Backyard Oases”. Some of the images have an almost voyeuristic
quality, whilst others are a snapshot of pure unadulterated fun, but all offer
incredible insight into the playground of the rich and famous and the swimming
pool’s place within the Southern California conscience. Backyard
Oasis examines swimming pools in photographs from 1945 to 1982 as visual analogues
of the ideals and expectations associated with Southern California.