Joel Sternfeld
Gresham, Oregon, June 1979
Gresham, Oregon, June 1979, 1979
From American Prospects
C-Print, 34.5 x 43.2 cm
Collection Fotomuseum Winterthur, gift George Reinhart
1992-001-007
© Joel Sternfeld
b. 1944 (New York, US), lives and works in New York, US
Joel Sternfeld is arguably one of the most American of artists, as when he portrays America’s suburban settlements in his wonderful colour photographs, or documents the sites of important past events as they are today, or when he creates large-scale portraits of Americans going about their daily lives, and even when he photographs the ancient monuments in Rome. Sternfeld is a visual chronicler, a sociologist, historian and ethnographer with a camera who captures the decisive scenes, gestures and expressions of American life in precise colour photographs with utmost sensitivity. His apparently innocuous scenes are often deeply thought provoking, making the viewer ponder such issues as daily violence, how it is perceived and how it is forgotten. For three decades, he has been creating photographs of the highest calibre. The prices commanded by his works are rising rapidly.