A greyhound bus travels across a landscape and is reflected in a body of water.

Bus, Salt Lake, Autolandscape

Artist Elaine Mayes (American, born 1936)

Date1971

MediumArchival pigment print

DimensionsImage: 7 × 10 5/8 inches (17.8 × 27 cm)
Sheet: 11 × 14 inches (27.9 × 35.6 cm)
Matted: 16 × 20 inches (40.6 × 50.8 cm)

Credit LineMuseum purchase with funds provided by Mrs. Robert O. Levitt.

Object number2021.5

On View

Not on view

Copyright© 1971, Elaine Mayes. The images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextSecuring a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in 1971, Elaine Mayes embarked on a journey to photograph landscapes and people seen through her moving car. The resulting black-and-white series Autolandscapes refers to her vantage point inside her automobile and the quasi-automatic way in which she took the photographs—guided more by instinct, even occasionally capturing images without looking through her camera’s viewfinder. This work, which shows a Greyhound bus sleekly advancing through an otherwise peaceful landscape, calls to mind the ambitious construction of the Interstate Highway System (IHS). Officially started in 1956, the IHS was meant to improve safety, accommodate the growing number of automobiles and increased traffic on smaller roads, and connect major hubs across the country. Its construction notably allowed bus companies to offer a novelty—low-cost trips throughout the entire USA. In an early Greyhound advertisement, a smiling young woman triumphantly proclaims: “Now I know how Columbus felt … I’ve discovered America!” Text written for Vehicles of Change, February 27-August 22, 2021.

Subject MatterGreat Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America

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