Friday, April 13, 2018

Legendary Photographer Art Shay Tells His Remarkable Story



We were pleased to feature many of Art Shay's photographs during the recent AIPAD Photography Show in New York, and the current gallery exhibit "1968: It Was 50 Years Ago Today" includes several of Shay's 1968 photographs. In 2017, Art Shay received the Lucie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Photography.


Via Chicago Magazine
April 13, 2018

Legendary Photographer Art Shay Tells His Remarkable Story
The photographer, 96, on Liz Taylor, JFK, and almost killing Jimmy Stewart


My father taught me as a kid that anything you can see, you can photograph. He gave me his Kodak camera, a very doughty instrument that was capable of making great snapshots, and I began developing pictures in the basement. I built an enlarger out of a coffee can and emptied out a coal bin for my darkroom.

A photo is a biography of a moment that would otherwise have gotten away.

I became a lead navigator during World War II. I survived the famous Kassel mission, where 31 B-24 Liberators didn’t make it back. And I had a Leica shot off my chest in a fighter attack and got through that OK. I knew I could become powder all the time, but it never bothered me. I never really, in my heart of hearts, believed it could happen to immortal old me.

Jimmy Stewart was my commanding officer. We looked alike and sounded alike and were fucking the same girl. Our crew almost killed him by mistake. We had started making artificial buzz bombs—the V-1 German bombs. It was a four-inch metal pipe on a metal stand, about four feet high, and we’d just aim and shoot it out. One day Jimmy was coming out of the officers’ mess, and debris from one hit him. He looked up at our group of four conspirators and said, “That’d be a fine fuckin’ way for Jimmy Stewart to die, wouldn’t it?”

My first published pictures were of a midair collision. I had eight shots left on my beat-up old Leica, an orange filter on it ready for the sky, and the shutter at 500. I heard this roar overhead, and there were 50 Liberators. Two of them hit, and they started to go down. I got a hundred bucks for it.

My wife, Florence, taught me that I am better and smarter than I really am. She was known as the best of the photographers’ wives at Life magazine. She could get me off of a ladder in Seattle on a Friday afternoon and have me on deck for a Sports Illustrated football game the next day in Kansas City.

My son Harmon was a character. He went off the IQ charts at 200. The whole house is cluttered with his inventions. He was murdered in the hippie jungles of Florida in 1972, just two weeks before his 21st birthday. You don’t get over that. I often cry when I’m driving alone. What a waste it was.

Nelson Algren was Harmon’s godfather. I have a postcard someplace with his advice to Florence. He said, “Tell the kid never to eat at a place called Mom’s, never to play poker with a guy named Doc, and never to sleep with a woman who has more troubles than his own.”

I’m very good at hiding cameras on me. I learned that from an old Life photographer, my mentor Francis Reeves Miller. He was a little guy from Texas who looked like Santa Claus and drank 20 film containers of straight rye whiskey on every job.

Elizabeth Taylor was the loveliest woman I’d ever met, and she had the humor of a Bronx housewife.

I did 83 Mafia stories, if you can digest that. The last one was in a grass alley in New York. I went into it with my little Leica and telephoto, and there were all these guys playing poker on either side. They looked up, and there’s Life magazine. A couple of guys drew their guns. I knew they weren’t gonna shoot me, and they knew they weren’t gonna shoot. But it’s still unsettling when someone points a gun at you.

The one time John F. Kennedy spoke to me, I was loading film down at the 1960 debates at CBS in Chicago. He said, “Where can a fella take a whiz around here?” He was conscious, but not too conscious, of who he was. His whole attitude toward the world was, “Fuck you.”

Don’t invest too much in your own immortality, if at all.



Art Shay
Photograph by Richard Shay



View Art Shay's photography here.



Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Monroe Gallery of Photography at the 2018 AIPAD Photography Show





Monroe Gallery of Photography is very pleased to again be exhibiting at The Photography Show, presented by AIPAD. One of the world's most prestigious annual photography events, The Photography Show is the longest-running and foremost exhibition dedicated to the photographic medium, offering a wide range of museum-quality work, including contemporary, modern, and 19th-century photographs as well as photo-based art, video, and new media. We will be exhibiting important selections from 20th and 21st Century photojournalists and documentary photographers in our booth #413.

Recently, documentary evidence has been denied or disputed by those in power, and coupled with the US administration's attacks on the press, the exhibit is a reminder that photojournalism is a vital and necessary component of a free society. View selections from our AIPAD Photograph Show 2018 exhibit here.

Highlights include Ryan Vizzions dramatic photographs from the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock in 2016-7; a selection of images depicting the tumult of the year 1968; photographs portraying the immigrant experience of contemporary Syrian refugees alongside an image of  migrant laborers and one of immigrant workers detained for deportation during “Operation Wetback” in 1955;  a magnificent large-format color photograph documenting the detail of bales of recycled wire by Stephen Wilkes; and historic work by Art Shay and Tony Vaccaro, both now 95 years old.

We are especially excited to have Tony Vaccaro present in our booth for most days of the Show. During World War II, although he was denied access to the Signal Corps, Tony was determined to photograph the war and had his portable 35mm Argus C-3 with him as he fought on the front lines of the war in Europe.  Tony went on to become one the most sought after photographers of his day, working for LIFE, LOOK, and numerous fashion and advertising campaigns.

During the Show, The Screening Room will show "Underfire: The Untold Story of PFC Tony Vaccaro". An Emmy-award nominated HBO documentary, the film tells the story of how Tony Vaccaro, a 21-year old WWII infantryman, smuggled his $47.00 portable camera into battle to create one of the most comprehensive and intimate records of the war. The Screening Room is one of many special projects being produced for the 38th edition of The Photography Show and is curated by award-winning filmmaker Mary Engel (Director, Orkin/Engel Film and Photo Archive

We are very honored to have two photographs selected by Sir Elton John for his curated AIPAD member exhibition "A Time for Reflection". A Time for Reflection seeks to inspire, comfort, challenge and ultimately show the strength of photography and its ability to be literal and metaphorical.

We hope you may be able to visit us during the show!


Monday, February 19, 2018

Gallery Discussion on March 23 in conjunction with 1968 exhibit


Art Shay: Honor King, End Racism, march after assassination of Martin Luther King,  1968


Don E. Carleton: The Press and Photojournalism in 1968

Coincides with exhibition of photographs of historic events of 1968

 
Santa Fe--Monroe Gallery of Photography, 112 Don Gaspar, is pleased to present a special Gallery discussion with Don E. Carleton: “The Press and Photojournalism in 1968” on Friday, March 23, from 5-7 PM. The talk will start promptly at 5:30 PM in the gallery, seating is limited and is first come, first seated.

The gallery discussion coincides with the exhibition “1968: It Was Fifty Years Ago Today” . The year 1968 marked many changes for the United States. It signaled the end of the Kennedy-Johnson presidencies, the pinnacle of the civil rights movement, the beginning of Women’s rights and Gay rights, and the beginning of the end of the war in Vietnam. More than that, it meant a change in public attitudes and beliefs. Photojournalism had a dominating role in the shaping of public attitudes at the time.

One of the consequences of the reporting in Vietnam was to make military leaders determined never to give journalists such free rein; the Nixon Presidency ushered in an era of press secrecy; photographs capturing anti-war protests, chaos outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and of the campaigns and assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy became iconic markers of the year. Dr. Carleton will discuss these topics and explore the importance of news and documentary photography in general as sources for historical research and for giving us a window into the past unequalled by other sources.

Dr. Don Carleton has been executive director of The University of Texas at Austin's Dolph Briscoe Center for American History since its creation in 1991. Dr. Carleton has published and lectured extensively in the fields of historical research, the history of broadcast journalism, and Twentieth Century U.S. political history.

The exhibition continues through April 15, 2018. Gallery hours are 10 to 5 daily. Admission is free. 

Friday, February 2, 2018

1968: It Was Fifty Years Ago Today

Art Shay: "Welcome Democrats", Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, August, 1968



Monroe Gallery of Photography, 112 Don Gaspar, is pleased to present “1968: It Was Fifty Years Ago Today”, a major exhibition featuring more than 50 photographs from one of the most tumultuous years in United States history. The exhibition opens Friday, February 2 and will continue through April 15


The year 1968 marked many changes for the United States. It signaled the end of the Kennedy-Johnson presidencies, the pinnacle of the civil rights movement, the beginning of Women's rights and Gay rights, and the beginning of the end of the war in Vietnam. More than that, it meant a change in public attitudes and beliefs. Photojournalism had a dominating role in the shaping of public attitudes at the time. Now, the exhibition comes amid a time of heightened awareness from political, racial, and social tensions.

The year started with the Viet Cong opening the Tet Offensive by attacking major cities of South Vietnam, a move that triggered President Lyndon B. Johnson's call for peace negotiations. Johnny Cash recorded "Live at Folsom Prison", Eddie Adams photographs a Viet Cong officer as he is executed by Nguyen Ngoc Loan, a South Vietnamese National Police Chief. This photograph made headlines around the world, eventually winning the 1969 Pulitzer Prize, and sways U.S. public opinion against the war. On March 16, the Mai Lai massacre further shocks the nation, and on March 31st, President Lyndon B. Johnson surprised the nation by choosing not to run for reelection. On April 4th, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee, leading to riots in Washington, D.C. and other cities. In late April, student protesters at Columbia University in New York City take over administration buildings and shut down the university, only one of many college protests that would unfold across the county.

In June, Robert F. Kennedy, former U.S. attorney general and U.S. senator from New York, was assassinated in Los Angeles while campaigning for the Democratic Presidential nomination, and Bill Eppridge records a lone busboy trying to comfort Kennedy as he lays sprawled on the kitchen floor of the Ambassador Hotel. In August, the Democratic National Convention in Chicago was marred by clashes between Vietnam War protesters and Mayor Daley's police force. At Mexico City's Summer Olympic Games, African American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos won gold and bronze medals, then bowed their heads and raised clenched fists during the playing of the U.S. national anthem in protest of U.S. racism. And in November, as the Beatles' "White Album" is released Richard Nixon was elected President with running mate Spiro Agnew, making one of the most extraordinary political comebacks in U.S. history. Finally, in December, Elvis Presley's "1968 Comeback Special" airs on NBC television and Apollo 8 enters orbit around the moon.

In culture, Barbarella, Funny Girl, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes, Rosemary's Baby, and Yellow Submarine dominate the box office; the Fillmore East opens in New York, Hair opens on Broadway, and "Hey Jude" by the Beatles and "Jumpin' Jack Flash by The Rolling Stones top the music charts.

Friday, January 26, 2018

Day to Night: In the Field With Stephen Wilkes at the National Geographic Museum


Tour de France, Paris, Day to Night, 2016 / Photograph by Stephen Wilkes


Via National Geographic


Photographer Stephen Wilkes is recognized around the world for his stunning image compositions of landscapes as they transition from day to night. Each of these dramatic images is meticulously crafted from more than 1,500 photographs taken from a fixed vantage point over the course of 15 to 30 hours, from sunrise to sunset. Stephen spent much of 2017 on assignment documenting bird migration routes for National Geographic magazine. This exhibition takes you into the field and behind the scenes, shining a light on the talent and dedication it takes to beautifully capture the passing of time. On exhibit February 13 - April 22, 2018.  More information here.

Talk
Day to Night: An Evening With Stephen Wilkes  Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Tuesday, February 13, 2018 

National Geographic Feature Article: The Epic Journeys of Migratory Birds

Stephen Wilkes' Day To Night collection will be on exhibit at Monroe Gallery of Photography Oct. 5 - Nov. 18, 2018.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

The Marines and Tet: The Battle That Changed the Vietnam War



On January 25 photojournalist John Olsen will speak as panelist at an evening program as part of the Newseum’s newest exhibit opening, Marines And Tet. More information may be found here.


©John Olsen


John Olsen's photograph "U.S.  Marines at the Battle of Huê" is featured in Monroe Gallery of Photography's forthcoming exhibition "1968: It was 50 years ago today", opening February 2 and continuing through April 15, 2018.

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

NM PBS SCREENING OF "I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO" TO FEATURE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA PHOTO COLLECTION


Art Shay: James Baldwin, Chicago, 1962




NEW MEXICO PBS AND SANTA FE ART INSTITUTE PRESENT A SPECIAL
PREVIEW SCREENING OF ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATED
DOCUMENTARY I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO

SCREENING TO FEATURE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA PHOTO COLLECTION INCLUDING PORTRAITS OF JAMES BALDWIN AND DISCUSSION LED BY SFAI WORKS MANAGER KOURTNEY ANDAR


(Santa Fe, New Mexico) — New Mexico PBS and Santa Fe Art Institute are excited to present an Indie Lens Pop-Up screening of Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro, one of the most acclaimed films of the year and a 2017 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary.

In 1979, James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his next project, to be called Remember This House. The book was to be a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and successive assassinations of three of his close friends — Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. But at the time of Baldwin’s death in 1987, he left behind only 30 completed pages of his manuscript.

Now, in this incendiary documentary, which premieres on New Mexico PBS Monday, January 15, 2018, 8:00 - 9:30 PM, filmmaker Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished. The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin’s original words, spoken by Samuel L. Jackson, and a flood of rich archival material. I Am Not Your Negro is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. It is a film that questions black representation in Hollywood and beyond. And, ultimately, by confronting the deeper connections between the lives and assassination of these three leaders, Baldwin and Peck have produced a work that challenges the very definition of what America stands for.

"The Long Road: From Selma To Ferguson" an exhibition of photographs documenting the Civil Rights movement in America from the 1950's to the present day, curated by The Monroe Gallery of Photography, will be on view January 8 through January 19 at the Santa Fe Art Institute.

The exhibition comes at a time of heightened awareness, from political and social tensions in the aftermath of President Trump’s election, threats of “investigation for voter fraud“, the just concluded special election in Alabama, and conflicts across the racial divide in Charlottesville and other American Cities.

In 1963, photographers captured dramatic images of dogs and fire hoses turned on protesters that transformed national public opinion towards support of civil rights. At the time, there was a feeling in the movement that it took journalists, and especially photojournalists, covering the struggles to tell their story as history and visual evidence and shock the world.

Recently, documentary evidence has been denied or disputed by those in power, and coupled with the new administrations attacks on the press, the exhibit is a reminder that photojournalism is a vital and necessary component of a free society.

The exhibition features iconic photographs from the historic 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to demand free-and-clear voting rights for African Americans. Other powerful photographs capture the heroes of the Civil Rights movement--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, James Baldwin, and John Lewis--but also the countless grass-roots organizers and anonymous marchers who risked everything to trudge a long, dusty, and violent path to equality. Also included in the exhibition are images from more recent keystones of the modern civil rights movement, including the Eric Garner killing in New York, modern KKK protests, and the unrest following the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.


WHAT: FREE preview screening of I Am Not Your Negro followed by a community discussion.
"The Long Road: From Selma To Ferguson" An exhibition from The Monroe Gallery of Photography, will be on view January 8 through January 19

WHERE: Santa Fe Art Institute, 1600 St. Michael’s Drive, Santa Fe

WHO: Presenters: Indie Lens Pop-Up, New Mexico PBS, Santa Fe Art Institute, Monroe Gallery of Photography

WHEN: Thursday, January 11, 2018 at 6 PM

## For more information, visit: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/films/i-am-not-your-negro/




Monday, January 1, 2018

The 2017 "Best" Photograph Lists



Ready or not, here we go again. The lists begin earlier every year: everyone's photography "Best of" lists. As 2017 is history, below is what has become an annual tradition: our compilation of what the web selected as the "best" of all things photography 2017; photobooks at bottom of list.


In Memoriam: Remembering the Photographers We Lost in 2017

Remember when? Take a peek at the "best" of 2016 here.


Why not start with the big one? "What Was the Most Influential Photograph in History?"

Google: The Year in Search 2017

Twitter: Best Pictures of 2017

Santa Fe New Mexican: 2017 in Pictures
(Our hometown newspaper)

The Guardian: The Best photographs of 2017 – by the people who shot them
(featuring Gallery Photographer Ryan Vizzons slide #15)

The Guardian: Favourite Australian photographs from 2017 – in pictures

ABC News: Pictures of the Year 2017 (featuring Gallery Photographer Ryan Vizzons slide #16)

New York Times: 13 Lens Posts That Captured Photography in 2017
(featuring Gallery Photographer Nina Berman story #12)

Evening Standard: Pictures of the year 2017: Moments of surprise, joy, fear and sadness captured by the world's best photographers

New York Times: How We Looked at the Arts This Year: Our Favorite Photographs

Reading The Pictures: Our 14 Best Posts of 2017

Nina Berman: 2017 year in review

UPROXX: Looking At Getty’s ‘Images Of Strength’ From 2017 Will Give You Hope For The Future

BBC News: UK Year in Pictures

POLITICO's Best Photos of 2017

Sportsmail's photographers' best pictures of 2017
VII Agency 2017 Year in Review

Telegraph: Animal Photographs of the Year 2017

Boston Globe The Big Picture: The year 2017 in pictures: Part I
                                                  The year 2017 in pictures: Part II

BBC: Yean in Pictures 2017

Telegraph photographers' pictures of the year 2017

Quartz: The defining photos of 2017 were of protest

Wall Street Journal: Photos of the Year: 2017 in Greater New York

Magnum: 2017 Pictures of the Year
                The Big Picture: 2017 in Review

News.com.au: The best feel-good and funny moments of 2017

Space.com: Pale Blue Dot, Beautiful Planet: The Best Astronaut Images of Earth from 2017


Co.Design: The Best Photo Essays Of 2017

San Francisco Chronicle: 2017 The Year in Pictures

2017 Denver Post Pictures of the Year 

The Guardian: Photographer of the year 2017: Zohra Bensemra

The New York Times: The Year in Pictures 2017

NBC News: The Year in Pictures 2017

Artsy: The Most Powerful Moments of Photojournalism in 2017

The Atlantic: The Most 2017 Photos Ever

Women Photograph: Best Photos of 2017

Radio New Zealand: The Best Photos of 2017

TIME: Wire Photographer of the Year

TIME: 2017 Best Photojournalism

TIME: Top 100 Photos of 2017

The New York Times: The Year From Above

Fader: If 2017 was a photo, what would it be?

Politico: Best political photos of 2017: Protests, big trucks and sheets of money

International Business Times: 10 best Trump burns by Obama's White House photographer Pete Souza in 2017

Indianapolis Star: A year of photos capture America in one tiny Indianapolis neighborhood

British Journal of Photography: Chiara Bardelli Nonino’s Best of 2017

British Journal of Photography: Olivier Laurent’s Best of 2017

Associated Press: The Year in Photos: News
                             The Year in Photos: Features

International Business Times: 2017 in pictures: The 100 best news photos of the year

International Business Times: Twelve of 2017's most powerful images and the moving stories behind them

The Best New Yorker Photography of 2017

TIME: 2017 Best Portraits

The Telegraph: Assignments 2017: the Best of British photojournalism

ABC News: AP PHOTOS: Best of 2017 for the Middle East

Bloomberg: The Political Year in Photos

Bloomberg: Tech Year in Photos

Business Insider: These are the most incredible photos of the US Army in 2017

WTOP: Best Sports Photos of the Year

Sports Illustrated's 100 Best Photos of 2017

Evening Standard: The funniest animal photos from the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017

MyModernMet: Top 20 Photos on Flickr in 2017

ALERT Vol.18 No.4 - The year in photos 2017

Dallas Morning News: From Houston's floodwaters to Dallas' urban sprawl, a look back at 2017

The Guardian: Photographer of the year: we shortlist the best of 2017

Weather Channel: weather.com's Best Photos of 2017

The Guardian: The top 10 photography exhibitions of 2017

Wall Street Journal: 2017 The Year in Photos

New Atlas: The best space photos of 2017

CNN: 2017: The year in pictures

Reuters: Pictures of the Year 2017

Medecins Sans Frontieres: A Year in Pictures 2017

Reuters: Pictures of the year: Protests
               Pictures of the year: Conflict
               Pictures of the year: Fashion

News18.com: 19 Powerful Images of 2017 and Touching Stories Behind Them

NPPA: aggregated Photos of the Year galleries from various news organizations

Reuters: 2017: A picture and its Story

Tampa Bay Times: Loren Elliott’s favorite photos of 2017

The Guardian: The walls have eyes: the best urban photography

AOL: 2017's best aerial photographs

AOL: Relive the best moments from the year in sports through photos

The Atlantic: Hopeful Images From 2017

Washington Post: THE YEAR IN PHOTOS

New York Times: The Best Art of 2017

USA Today: Best Photos of 2017

National Geographic: Best Photos of 2017
                                    Most Moving Photos of 2017
                                    Pictures We Love

The Atlantic: 2017 in Photos: How the First Months Unfolded
                      2017 in Photos: A Look at the Middle Months
                     2017 in Photos: Wrapping Up the Year

The Atlantic: Top 25 News Photos of 2017

Chron.com: The most powerful news images from 2017 from Getty Images

Chron.com: The best sports photos from 2017

Business Insider: These are 15 of the best photos scientists took in 2017 — and they show the world in stunning ways

Business Insider: The most stunning photos of US Marines in 2017

Jewish News: Striking images in contention for Israel’s best press photo of 2017

The Atlantic: Top 25 News Photos of 2017

Rolling Stone:  Best Photos from 2017's Biggest Outdoor Concerts, Festivals

Business Insider: These are 15 of the best photos scientists took in 2017

Denver Post: AFP Pictures of the Year 2017 

University of Virginia: A Year in Photos

The Guardian: Capturing ecology 2017 photo competition

Newsweek: The 10 Most-Liked Instagram Photos of 2017

USA Today: 2017 Sports Pictures of the Year


Offalay Express: The best Offaly photographs of 2017

Business Insider: 50 stunning moments captured by the award-winning Reuters photography team in 2017

Business Insider: 34 of the weirdest photos taken in 2017

The Telegraph: British Ecological Society photography competition 2017, in pictures

New Atlas: Pano Awards showcase the most stunning panoramic photographs of 2017

The Guardian: Ruined temples and forgotten places: historic photographer of the year – in pictures

Business Insider: 50 amazing photos taken in 2017

CNN: Instant vacation: The world's best travel photos

World Photography Organisation: 2017 Winners & Shortlist

BBC News: The best photos rejected from the National Portrait Gallery's Taylor Wessing Prize

Reuters: Pictures of The Year 2017

Fox News: Pictures of the Year

Insider: The most beautiful pictures of 2017

Daily Mail: The original supermodels defy the years with their stunning looks to lead the way in AFP’s photographs of the year

New Atlas: Magical dance of light takes 2017 best architecture photo

Golf Monthly: The Best Golf Art 2017



Photography Books

New York Times: The Best Photo Books of 2017

Elizabeth Avedon: Best Photography Books Of 2017 : Round-Up Part I

Vulture: The Best Photography Books of 2017

The Scotsman: Best Photography Books of 2017

CRAVE: The 10 Best Photography Books of 2017

The Herald: Avedon, Leibovitz, Gainsborough and Beaton: This year's Best Art and Photography Books

The Guardian: Sean O’Hagan’s best photography books of 2017

Women Photograph: Photobooks of 2017                  

Photo-eye:  photo-eye asked 28 photobook lovers from across the world to share their favorite books of the year.

Lensculture Critically Acclaimed: 75 Experts Name the Top Photobooks of 2017

Artsy: The 11 Best Photo Books You May Have Missed This Year

hafny.org: A Number of Really Good Photobooks Published in 2017

PDN: Notable Photo Books 2017: Part I      
                          Part II
                          Part III

The New York Times:  A Spotlight on the Season’s Top Photography Books

The New York Times: The Best Art Books of 2017

PhotoBookstoreMagazine: Photobooks of 2017: Brad Feuerhelm

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Gallery Photographer Ryan Vizzions' Receives 2 "Best Photographs of 2017" Mentions



Protesters face off with police in North Dakota by Ryan Vizzions
1 February, 2017. I went to Standing Rock because I felt there wasn’t much mainstream coverage of the Dakota Access pipeline protests taking place there. I saw that photograph coming and I waited for about 15 minutes to get it. I try to mix fine art with photojournalism – I’m really into symmetry and perspective. I was behind the police, looking up at the Native Americans – I think 75 people ended up getting arrested. Since photographing the protests, I’ve kind of been adopted by the Lakota people – they’re like family to me. I hope to help amplify indigenous voices.


Gallery Photographer Ryan Vizzions' photograph from the Standing Rock Protests has received two mentions on the "best" photographs of 2017 lists. The photograph is featured in the Gallery's current exhibit "Life In Winter", on view through January 21, 2018


The Guardian: The Best photographs of 2017 – by the people who shot them
(featuring Gallery Photographer Ryan Vizzions slide #15)


ABC News: Pictures of the Year 2017 (featuring Gallery Photographer Ryan Vizzions slide #16)

See our complete coverage of the International "Best" photographs of 2017 here.



Monday, December 18, 2017

TONY VACCARO AT 95


Tony Vaccaro: Newly liberated women in Nante, along the North bank of the Loire River, celebrate their freedom, Nante, France, July, 1944


Happy 95th Birthday to Gallery photographer Tony Vaccaro!!



Tony Vaccaro turns 95 on December 20, 2017. In 2017, the Emmy-nominated documentary film "Underfire: the Untold Story of Tony Vaccaro" aired on HBO, following its November, 2016 premiere. In July, Tony returned to Santa Fe, New Mexico 57 years after his famous photo-session with Georgia O'Keeffe to attend the opening of the exhibition "Tony Vaccaro: War and Peace" at Monroe Gallery of Photography.

In World War II, Tony Vaccaro played two risky roles, serving as a combat infantryman on the front lines, as well as a photographer who shot 8,000 photographs. Returning to the States in 1950, Tony started his career as a commercial photographer, eventually working for virtually every major publication: Flair, Look, Life, Venture, Harper’s Bazaar, Town and Country, Quick, Newsweek, and many more. Tony went on to become one the most sought after photographers of his day.

Tony Vaccaro 

 Monroe Gallery of Photography is proud to present a special pop-up exhibition of photographs by Tony Vaccaro on the occasion of his 95th birthday. Visit the exhibition on-line at www.monroegallery.com, or in the gallery through January 21, 2018. And stay in contact with Monroe Gallery for several Tony Vaccaro exhibits to be announced for 2018!