Stephen Wilkes

Courtesy of the photographer and Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery

Day to Night, Stephen Wilkes’ most defining project, began in 2009. These epic cityscapes and landscapes, portrayed from a fixed camera angle for up to 30 hours, capture fleeting moments of humanity as light passes in front of his lens over the course of a full day. Blending these images into a single photograph takes months to complete. To create this landscape, Wilkes took 2,092 photos over 36 hours and selected 44 for this image, capturing a sunrise, a full moon, and a rare alignment of four planets. A detail of Bears Ears National Monument, Utah, Day to Night illustrated the September 2022 cover of National Geographic.  

'The spectacular landscape of Bears Ears Monument is a symbol of the risk to some of the country's unique and irreplaceable places. One president preserved it at the urging of Native Americans who hold it sacred, another tried to open it to drilling and mining. A national monument rich with archaeological sites, it includes the Citadel, once a fortified cliff dwelling, now a popular hiking spot. . .Beyond the sense of awe and beauty, there's a palpable sense of history with every step you take.' - Stephen Wilkes

The Consignor is donating 100% of the hammer price from the sale of this and other designated artworks, to be sold during Sotheby’s Contemporary Discoveries online sale held from September 23 – October 3, 2022, to Instituto Terra, a not-for-profit Brazilian organization devoted to conservation and reforestation. In addition, in relation to these designated artworks, Sotheby’s will donate 100% of its Overhead Premium to Instituto Terra and its Buyers Premium, after deducting expenses. No portion of the purchase price is tax-deductible. For more information about Instituto Terra, visit www.institutoterra.org.