Nancy Baron: The Good Life Goes On

Nancy Baron: The Good Life Goes On by Aline SmithsonOctober 19, 2016

Photographer Nancy Baron has just released her second monograph, The Good Life Goes On, published by Kehrer Verlag. It’s an apt title as the good life certainly does go in this exquisitely captured collection of photographs about life in Palm Springs. Nancy’s unique approach to her work sits on the edge of documentary and fine art, all from the perspective of an insider, possibly traversing the landscape with a camera and a martini in hand. She finds the humor, beauty, and the soul of a city built on sand, a city that celebrates modernist architecture, kitsch and caftans, blue skies, and turquoise water. As visitors, we get a glimpse into the inner sanctums of the Rat Pack lifestyle, a little Frank Sinatra on the record player, and the sounds of ice cubes rolling around in gilt rimmed glassware. To purchase a book or a print, go here.

Nancy will be doing book signings at Rizzoli in New York City on November 9th from 6-8 pm. In addition to signing books, she will be in conversation with two-time Academy Award-nominated Production Designer Nathan Crowley. On November 29th, Nancy will be giving an artist’s lecture at the Canon Hollywood Professional Technology and Support Center from 7 -9 pm on “Staying Focused on the Long-Term Project.” RSVP here.

Nancy Baron’s background in documentary filmmaking has led to her current dedication to fine art documentary photography. She documents the world nearby, mostly in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, where she lives. Baron’s work is held in public and private collections and has been exhibited in galleries across the United States, including three solo exhibits in Los Angeles and two in Palm Springs. Her work has been published in many notable magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, Mother Jones, Photo District News, American Photo, Architectural Digest, and Conde Nast Traveler. Her two monographs, The Good Life > Palm Springs (2014) and Palm Springs > The Good Life Goes On (2016) are published by Kehrer Verlag.

@Nancy Baron, Piazza de Liberace

The Good Life Goes On

The dreamy Palm Springs vibe washes over the traveler at the first sight from land or air of the vast windmill farm sprouting from the Southern California desert, surrounding the town like guards at the gate to paradise. Their whirling blades seem to clear the air, invoking a strong shift in sense of place.

Here are my impressions of this storied American resort town and its mid century modern lifestyle. I document, with a positive bias, my ongoing and endless discoveries of my second home and its community of mid century modern enthusiasts. This large and tight-knit group of self-proclaimed modernists remain firmly committed to the mid century modern lifestyle and the preservation of its architecture. Their homes, cars, and clothes pay homage to this carefree post-World War II time in U. S. history that glows warmly in their vintage rear-view mirrors. Many of these modernists weren’t born yet in the 1950’s and 1960’s, but they find comfort in this reenactment of gentler times.