John Szarkowski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Szarkowski
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Portrait of Szarkowski (cropped) in 1975 by Richard Avedon
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| Born |
Thaddeus John Szarkowski
December 18, 1925 |
| Died | July 7, 2007 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Photography curator |
John Szarkowski (born December 18, 1925 – died July 7, 2007) was an American photographer. He was also a curator, a person who organizes art shows. Szarkowski was a historian and a critic too. From 1962 to 1991, he led the photography department at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.
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Early Life and Photography Journey
John Szarkowski grew up in Ashland, Wisconsin. He became interested in photography when he was just eleven years old. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army. After the war, he studied art history at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He graduated in 1947.
Szarkowski started his career as a photographer for the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. He was also a photographer himself. His first solo art show was at the Walker Art Center in 1949. He received two Guggenheim Fellowships. These awards helped him create his book The Idea of Louis Sullivan (1956). From 1958 to 1962, he lived in rural Wisconsin. There, he studied how people relate to nature and the wilderness.
Leading Photography at MoMA
In 1962, John Szarkowski became the director of photography at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). The famous photographer Edward Steichen chose him for this important role. Szarkowski also helped the National Endowment for the Arts.
In 1973, Szarkowski wrote Looking at Photographs. This book taught people how to think and write about photos. It is still an important book for photography students today. He also wrote many books about other photographers. One big project was a four-volume work about the photographer Atget.
Szarkowski wrote Mirrors and Windows: American Photography Since 1960 (1978). In this book, he talked about two main ways photographers express themselves. The "Mirror" idea was about photography that shows the artist's own feelings or ideas. Artists like Jerry N. Uelsmann and Duane Michals used this style. The "Window" idea was about documentary photography. This style shows the world as it is, like looking through a window. Photographers like Diane Arbus and Lee Friedlander used this approach.
Szarkowski taught at many famous universities. These included Harvard, Yale, and New York University. He also gave many lectures. From 1983 to 1989, he was a special professor at Cornell University. In 1990, U.S. News & World Report said that Szarkowski's ideas shaped how Americans thought about photography.
In 1991, Szarkowski retired from MoMA. He had a strong influence on the museum's photography collection. Peter Galassi took over his role.
Exhibitions Organized by Szarkowski
John Szarkowski organized many important photography exhibitions at MoMA. Here are some of them:
- 1963: The Photographer and the American Landscape
- 1964: André Kertész (a look back at his work)
- 1964: The Photographer's Eye
- 1966: Dorothea Lange (a look back at her work)
- 1967: New Documents
- 1968: Henri Cartier-Bresson (a look back at his work)
- 1969: Garry Winogrand: The Animals
- 1972: Diane Arbus (a look back at her work)
- 1990: Photography Until Now
He also co-curated Ansel Adams at 100 in 1995 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
After Retirement
After retiring, Szarkowski went back to taking his own photographs. He often tried to capture the feeling of different places in the American landscape. In 2005, he had several big solo art shows across the USA. The first major show of his own work was at MoMA in early 2006.
John Szarkowski passed away on July 7, 2007, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He was 81 years old.
Documentaries About John Szarkowski
- John Szarkowski: A Life in Photography (1998): A 48-minute film about his life and work.
- Speaking of Art: John Szarkowski on John Szarkowski (2005): A 60-minute film where he talks about his own photography.
Exhibitions of Szarkowski's Photographs
- 2005–2006: John Szarkowski: Photographs. This show started at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and then moved to the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
See also
In Spanish: John Szarkowski para niños
