Rear View of Diner, Route 22, Union, NJ

David Plowden took this photograph from behind a roadside diner. This unusual vantage point privileges the building's functional components over the readability of its signage and façade. This unique perspective prompts the viewer to understand this subject as a jigsaw of shapes and forms, rather than an immediately recognizable category of architecture. Renowned for his catalogue of American subjects, Plowden has made extensive studies of steam trains, boats, bridges, barns, small towns, and farmlands across the United States.

Gift of David and Sandra Plowden...