Charles Sheeler was a major American Modernist and the chief proponent of the Precisionist Movement (c.1920-1940). He was also one of the first Modernist artists to merge photography, film, and painting. He is known as much for his paintings, which were drawn from his photographs.

The photographer Alfred Steiglitz called Charles Sheeler one of the "Trinity of Photography" in the early 20th century. The images that brought Sheeler to Steiglitz's attention were taken in the rural countryside of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Sheeler was drawn to these vernaular buildings because, as he stated, "Their builders weren't building a work of art. If it's beautiful to some of us afterward, it's beautiful because it functioned." Sheeler highlights the aesthetic qualities of his industrial or archirectual subjects. His photographs often depict empty architectual spaces that show signs of human activity and craftsmanship but lack a human presence. The abstract compositions contrast lights and darks, verticals and diagonals, and emphasize pattern. These attributes and contributions place Sheeler at the forefront of American Modernism.

Source: DMAC NEWS Sep Oct Nov Dec 2022