Jan Groover facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jan Groover
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| Born | April 24, 1943 |
| Died | January 1, 2012 (aged 68) Montpon-Ménestérol
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | Pratt Institute, Ohio State University |
| Known for | Photography |
Jan Groover (born April 24, 1943 – died January 1, 2012) was an American photographer. She was famous for her unique style. Many museums showed her work, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. This museum even keeps some of her photographs in its permanent collection.
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Early Life and Education
Jan Groover was born and grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey. She loved art from a young age.
She went to the Pratt Institute to study painting and drawing. In 1965, she earned her first degree from Pratt. Later, in 1970, she received a master's degree in education from Ohio State University.
A Career in Photography
Jan Groover became well-known for her photography. She bought her first large camera in 1978 after winning a special grant. Groover was famous for using new color photography techniques.
Still Life Photography
In 1979, she began to use a special printing method called platinum prints. She used this for portraits. She also loved to photograph everyday items. She would turn simple things like kitchen objects into amazing still life pictures.
A famous art critic, Andy Grundberg, wrote in The New York Times in 1987: "In 1978, an exhibition of her dramatic still-life photographs of objects in her kitchen sink caused a sensation." He added that when one of her photos appeared on the cover of Artforum magazine, it showed that photography was truly becoming a big part of the art world.
Unique Camera Techniques
Groover also used older camera technology. She used a special camera from the early 1900s called a banquet camera. This camera helped her create long, horizontal pictures of ordinary items. Another critic, Roberta Miller, called Groover's work "beautiful and masterly" in a 1997 review.
Moving to France
In 1991, Jan Groover and her husband, Bruce Boice, moved from the United States to Montpon-Ménestérol, France. She felt that the United States was changing in ways she didn't agree with. After moving, she bought an even bigger camera. She started taking pictures of her new surroundings in France. This included landscapes, churches, and graveyards.
Jan Groover passed away in 2012 after being ill for some time.
Major Exhibitions
Jan Groover's work was shown in many important places. The Museum of Modern Art held a big show of her work in 1987. A book was also printed about this exhibition.
Her photographs have been displayed in other museums too:
- Baltimore Museum of Art
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
- International Museum of Photography, George Eastman House, Rochester, New York
Recent Exhibitions
More recently, her work has been shown in Europe:
- Jan Groover Laboratory of forms, Musée de l'Élysée, Lausanne, Switzerland (2019–2020)
- Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, Paris, France (2022–2023)
Awards and Recognition
Jan Groover received several important awards for her photography:
- National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, 1978
- Guggenheim Fellowship, 1978
- National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, 1983
Her work is also part of the permanent collections in these museums:
