Sandy Skoglund is an American photographer and installation artist, known for her fantastical and highly staged photographs that often feature surreal and dreamlike elements. Born in 1946 in Weymouth, Massachusetts, Skoglund began her career as a painter, but eventually turned to photography in the 1970s. Skoglund’s photographs are highly constructed and meticulously staged, and they …
Laurie Simmons is an American photographer and filmmaker, known for her staged photographs of miniature dollhouse-like interiors and figures. Born in 1949 in Long Island, New York, Simmons began her career as a photographer in the 1970s, and quickly established herself as one of the leading figures in the emerging genre of conceptual photography. Simmons’ …
Cindy Sherman is an American photographer and artist who is best known for her conceptual self-portraits. Born in 1954 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Sherman began her career in the 1970s, and quickly established herself as one of the leading figures in the emerging genre of conceptual photography. Sherman’s photographs are highly staged and meticulously …
Paul Everard Outerbridge, Jr. was a pioneer of early twentieth century color photographer. His subject matter included still lives, nature, fashion, as well as many nudes. He experimented with a variety of styles and croppings. Accused of producing fetish photography, Outerbridge expressed that nudity is a state of (objective) fact, while lewdity is a state …
Robert Mapplethorpe was an American 20th Century photographer best known for his portraits of the LGBTQ community in New York City, predominantly featuring bondage, nudes, and erotic art photography. Mapplethorpe photographed his only female lover, poet Patti Smith. After their relationship, he began photographing other gay men in New York City. He spent most of …
Cindy Sherman is a contemporary American photographer best known for self portraits that depict her as various imagined characters. These artistic constructions reference icons of culture, gender, and social cues through various assumed identities. The tone is sometimes critical and other times humorous, often appropriating the tropes of television or Hollywood. Many of Cindy Sherman’s …
Diane Arbus was an American 20th Century photographer who created intimate black and white portraits. Her fine art photographs depicted marginalized people, such as those with mental illness, so-called “freak show” workers, and transgender people. Examples of her portraits included female impersonators, body builders, heavily tattooed people, nudists, and triplets. These images portrayed these people …
Imogen Cunningham was an American 20th century photographer know for botanical photography, figures, and industrial landscapes. She was a founding member of the f/64 group along with Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, and others. She worked mostly with a 4×5 (inch) format film camera, producing black and white fine art photographs. Cunningham photography has been published …