Momentary Views

Joel Sternfeld

Choosing a palette of bright hues, ordinary people and American landscapes, Joel Sternfeld (b. 1944) is a master of photography, winning numerous awards including two Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowships (1978 and 1982) and the Prix de Rome (1990-1991). Unearthing the visual highlights of the everyday, Sternfeld utilises his camera to discover an intimacy of character in spontaneous scenarios. The following images are taken from the photographer’s early project, First Pictures , realised between 1971 and 1980, and are collected in their entirety in a photographic volume. Split into four thematic groups, the works were shot in various locations including North Carolina, New York, Illinois and New Jersey. Diverse in nature, with subjects ranging from busy shoppers to people relaxing at the beach, the photographs are united in their transient magic and aesthetic intrigue. Aside from working on a new book project, a selection of Sternfeld’s iDubai pieces will feature in a group exhibition at NRW-Forum Düsseldorf, and a collection from the Sweet Earth series will form part of the 2013 Carnegie International in Pittsburgh this autumn.

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