The first major retrospective of Charles Sheeler's photography is currently on display at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, courtesy of the Lane Collection. "The photography of Charles Sheeler: American Modernist," which features about 120 photographs, highlights a 20-year period where he concentrated mainly on photography instead of painting, for which he is better known.He began taking photographs because his paintings were not selling and he needed to make a living. Later on, his photographs would serve as blueprints for his drawings and paintings. Sheeler was greatly influenced by Picasso, Czanne, and other Cubists. "Cubism exists in nature; photography can record it," Sheeler said. He was a contemporary of Paul Strand and Alfred Stieglitz, two photographers who received much more attention than Sheeler.

The exhibit traces Sheeler's photographic years, beginning with two early Cubist-style landscape paintings. One of these paintings, along with reproductions of works by Picasso and Czanne, can be seen in one of his first artistic photographs, "Studio Interior," from 1913. His first groundbreaking photograph, "Side of White Barn," from 1915, took an American structure and transformed it into a Cubist piece.

His first series, "The Doylestown House," is 16 pictures of an 18th-century farmhouse he rented in Doylestown, Penn. Sheeler often used traditional American subject matter, like barns and farms, in his work. This series is simple, but gorgeous.

The "Photography of Works of Art" series shows Sheeler's true love of Cubist and modern works. In 1918 he was asked by friends Walter and Louise Arenberg to photograph their extensive art collection, which included works by Duchamp and Picasso. His series of photographs of African masks and sculptures also show his interest in Cubism. Although he was simply taking pictures of other great works, his photographs are able to bring a new artistic level to the pieces.

By far the most abstract and experimental series, "Nudes," is a collection of still photos taken from a 1918 35 mm film he made of his wife. He enlarged the slides from the film, which was new to the American photography scene. These works abstract the body in a beautiful, although unerotic, way. By zooming in on one section of his wife's stomach, or legs, it is hard to tell it is a body at first glance. This series, which was by far my personal favorite, is also accompanied by a drawing of one of the pictures, which demonstrates how his photography was intertwined with his drawing and painting.

"Manhatta," a rare silent film Sheeler made with Strand in 1920, is available for viewing in the exhibit. The film is a six-minute view of New York City, beginning with footage of people disembarking from the Staten Island Ferry and ending with the sun setting over the Hudson River. The movie emphasizes what Strand called, "the towering geometry" of the city. There are also 14 still photographs taken from the film on view.

The "Views of New York" series grew out of the film and features photographs of the city, most of which include the Park Row building, a very Cubist structure. Sheeler's innovation is evident by the fact that he got several photos out of a single negative. The series also contains a drawing and painting of one of the photographs. The drawing is gentle and flat while the painting heightens the contrast with glaring colors. The photograph, which appeared in Vanity Fair magazine, seems to stand as a medium between the two.

Sheeler's most famous works are found in the "Ford Plant, River Rouge" series. In 1927 Sheeler was commissioned by Ford to photograph his River Rouge plant as an advertising campaign for the new Model-T, although there are no pictures of the car itself. About half of the photographs are exterior visions of the industrial plant. These pictures, which highlighted the new machine-age, became very famous. Sheeler was able to take a dirty, smelly, smokey place and make a graceful work of art from it. Industrial machines are the "modern cathedrals of America," Sheeler said.

The inventive white-on-white painting "Upper Deck" from 1929 was a turning point for Sheeler. This is the point when his photography began to work more as a blueprint for his paintings than to be works of art in their own right. The painting is realized as one of the masterpieces of American modern art. The photographs taken after this point are more personal, including photos of his living room, which hearken back to his "Doylestown House" days.

In 1938 Sheeler was hired by Fortune magazine to take photographs of powerful American objects. People began to be confused and critics asked what these works were - photographs or paintings. His mediums had begun to blend together so much that the public did not know how to categorize him. The final piece in the exhibit is an exquisite painting, "View of New York." It is an open window looking out on fluffy white clouds. In the room is a shrouded camera, signifying his farewell to photography as art. Incidentally, the painting was based on a photograph, demonstrating Sheeler's new use for photography.

The exhibit, which is on display until Feb. 2, 2003, is a wonderful demonstration of an innovative, modern artist who never really received the recognition he deserves for his photographs. This is a must for anyone who is interested in photography. For others, it is still an important, beautiful display of some stunning works. At first glance, the photos may seem boring, or if one is not interested in industrial material, which is a good chunk of the exhibit, they may be turned off. But, it helps to read the explanations on the wall because they provide the motivation behind Sheeler's works, which prove to be extremely interesting. Sheeler truly is an important "American Modernist."

There will be gallery talks Thursday at 11 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. in the Sharf Information Center. The talks are free with museum admission. There is also a lecture called "Cubism Comes to America: The Genius of Charles Sheeler" on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. Admission is $10 for students. There will also be a free artist demonstration by Steve Aishman, with a hands-on demonstration of the type of large-format camera Sheeler used on Sundays from Nov. 3 through Feb.2 from 1 to 4 p.m. For tickets and more information, call (617) 369-3300 or visit www.mfa.org.