9 Street Photography Exhibits to See in NYC

William Eggleston: Los Alamos, The MET

February 14 – May 28, 2018

Who doesn’t love The MET? Not only will you probably be able to grab a few epic street shots outside the building, once inside, you can peruse the works of William Eggleston. This American photographer has some lovely color street photos taken of not-so-urban America. Purists beware, many of Eggleston’s shots are not only in color, they are quite often people-less and involve small town architecture, but in my humble opinion, this collection might just inspire you to see small towns from a new perspective.

Organizer’s description:

“The American photographer William Eggleston (born 1939) emerged in the early 1960s as a pioneer of modern color photography. Now, fifty years later, he is arguably its greatest exemplar. This exhibition features a landmark gift to The Met by Jade Lau of the artist’s most notable portfolio, Los Alamos. Comprising seventy-five dye transfer prints from color negatives made between 1965 and 1974, the series has never been shown in its entirety in New York City and includes the artist’s first color photograph (Untitled, Memphis, 1965) of a young clerk pushing a train of shopping carts at a supermarket in Memphis, Tennessee.”

Wendy Ewald: Works, Projects, Collaborations 1975 – 1996, Steven Kasher Gallery

April 19 – June 2, 2018

Documentary/candid shots of children by children? This exhibit is extremely unique in that Wendy Ewald, allowed the children she worked with to take images of themselves, their siblings and their surroundings. The result is a moving collection of images that reflect childrens’ lives in a singularly genuine way. This gallery takes documentary photography to a new level, one in which the subjects are also the photographers. It sounds fascinating.

Organizer’s description:

“In 1969 Ewald volunteered to work with children on a Native American reservation in eastern Canada. Intent on a career in photography and inspired by Dorothea Lange’s photographs of Depression-era farmers, she imagined producing her own documentation of life on the reservation. But the photographs her young students took with cameras Wendy brought to them fundamentally changed her approach. Their photographs, she says ”were more complicated and disturbing than mine, and closer, I realized, to what their life was like.” In 1975, Ewald moved to rural Letcher County, Kentucky and began working with children between the ages of six and fourteen. She spent six years there, establishing the roots of her practice. Rather than simply documenting the children’s lives, Ewald removed herself as the exclusive author and instead provided the children with the tools and skills to document their own lives.”

Brian Conley: Cairo Oblique, Pierogi

March 31 – May 6, 2018

Brain Conley risked arrest or worse to capture the daily life in Cairo, Egypt during a time of tension and turmoil. The results are intriguing, as is the method, since Brian allowed his iPhone to take images for him out a bus window while he looked straight ahead to avoid raising suspicion. The results are riveting, in part because of the way they were aquired and in part because of their historical value. Brain says, “I think of these aleatory photographs as laying out a map, a randomized microhistory of urban development from Pharaonic times to the contemporary, increasingly authoritarian regime.”

Organizer’s description:

“In spring 2014, I was a visiting artist in Cairo, Egypt. I had been coming to Cairo for eight years, glimpsing the regimes of Presidents Hosni Mubarak and Mohamed Morsi. This time, I arrived in the aftermath of the Rabaa Massacre, in which a thousand demonstrators protesting Morsi’s overthrow by General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi were killed, and 2000 more were injured. Sisi would soon run for President with no real opposition, and his election was already inevitable. Still, in the run-up to voting, the military clamped down. Artists and journalists were suspect, as were many others (between 2013 and 2017, 60,000 people were detained). Friends told me that I risked arrest if I used camera equipment in public.”

Arlene Gottfried: A Lifetime of Wandering, Daniel Cooney Fine Art

February 28 – April 28, 2018

Arlene Harriet Gottfried (August 26, 1950 – August 8, 2017) was a New York City street photographer who recorded scenes of ordinary daily life in some of the city’s less well-to-do neighborhoods. Arlene led a fascinating life and was very comfortable photographing strangers, a quality she attributes to growing up in Coney Island. Her images are powerful and always tell a story. This is one photographer who will inspire you to improve your street photography by getting closer to your subjects.

About the Organizer:

“Daniel Cooney Fine Art is a contemporary art gallery specializing in photographs and works on paper. We opened our first office in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in 2003. In 2004 we relocated to the Chelsea District of Manhattan. Our goal is to make exceptional photographs and works on paper available to the collecting community. The gallery is committed to showing the absolute best in emerging art and under recognized work by established artists.”

Bruce Wrighton: Saint George And The Dragon, Laurence Miller Gallery

March 8 – April 28, 2018

Exploring unlikely juxtapositions in your street photography? Then this gallery is for you. Bruce Wrighton explored the uses of idols and icons and the feelings they produce in his project, “Saint George and the Dragon.” The result was a collection of images that, collectively, are sure to evoke an emotional reaction in their viewers. Interestingly, that emotion will most likely vary, depending on who’s viewing. Take a look for yourself and discover how objects can create emotions in street photography.

Organizer’s description:

“Exhibited for the first time since 1988, this series explores icons and images found in churches and barrooms, primarily in the Binghamton area.  Working with an 8 x 10” camera, Wrighton captured unexpected juxtapositions of the secular and the religious, often with an ethereal light. As he stated, “I essentially went into a lot of churches…and found icons or images that were by design a way to focus, a way to draw…a certain feeling or sense of devotion…And I found a very similar feeling around town in rooms, very old barrooms.””

Zoe Leonard: Survey, Whitney Museum of American Art

March 2 – June 10, 2018

Zoe Leonard’s work contains a wide variety urban landscapes, among other subjects. Her viewpoint is uniquely her own and reveals that we all have a unique perspective to share. This gallery is very well put together and will open your mind to the subtle ways candid and urban photography can at times prove to be a social and even political commentary.

Organizer’s description:

“New York–based artist Zoe Leonard (b. 1961) is among the most critically acclaimed artists of her generation.  Over the past three decades, she has produced work in photography and sculpture that has been celebrated for its lyrical observations of daily life coupled with a rigorous, questioning attention to the politics and conditions of image making and display.” 

Jan Groover: Hartford and Other Photographs, Janet Borden Inc.

April 5 – May 15, 2018

Once again exploring not-so-urban America is Jan Groover. Groover’s images have a documentary flair and have been described as subtle, yet striking. Get inspired by the woman who said, “Formalism is everything” by taking in her perspective of a city that has long since continued evolving. We might even say, of a city that no longer exists.

Organizer’s description:
“An amazing trove of 100 vintage Jan Groover photographs was recently found. This archive, documenting the architecture of Hartford, Connecticut has not been seen for forty-five years.Each print is 8×10”, dating from 1971-2. Although they are very objective, straight photographs, they also tell a story offering a glimpse into the past of the state capital with a hypnotizing suburban tranquility. Some of them seem very New Topographic, some out of Walker Evans… with a hint of Groover’s later diptych and triptych interests.”

Robert Virga: The Sacred and Profane, Umbrella Arts

April 4 – April 29, 2018

This exhibit shows off the social landscape of New York City. As the title implies, the series documents everyday life and its extremes. People’s lives, caught in the act and completely candid are on display. These are the people that make up NYC, a city with countless faces, from Virga’s perspective

About the Organizer:

“Umbrella Arts features rare shows of extreme talent specializing in painting and photography. As long time members of the Lower Manhattan Community, owners MaryAnn Fahey and Margaret Bodell, are committed to keeping the artistic spirit of the East Village alive as a place of discovery and change and have long championed under-represented individuals and groups. MaryAnn and Margaret are pleased to include Harvey Stein as Director of Photography since 2009.”

Thom O’Connor: Intersections, SohoPhotoGallery

April 4 – April 28, 2018

If you are working on a location-based street photography project, then be sure to check out this gallery. Thom O’Connor composes people in intersections beautifully, using ample angles, candid subjects and the light and shadows available to him. An excellent work in street photography.

Organizer’s description:

“These images are of determined, early-morning striders, weaving their way thru the uncommon street crossings of Manhattan. Purposeful pedestrians, determined, lost in thought, crossing paths without signs of recognition, and without altering their chosen courses. Like ships passing in the night.”