Lee Friedlander facts for kids

Lee Friedlander (born July 14, 1934) is a famous American photographer and artist. He is known for his unique way of capturing city life. In the 1960s and 1970s, he created a special style called "social landscape." His photos often show parts of store windows, buildings seen through fences, and street signs.

Friedlander's work is special because he uses creative ways to frame his pictures. He often uses nature or buildings to frame what he is photographing. Throughout his career, he has won many awards. His photographs have been shown in big museums and galleries all over the world. These include the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.

Portrait of Lee Friedlander

Early Life and Photography Journey

Friedlander was born in Aberdeen, Washington, on July 14, 1934. His mother was of Finnish descent, and his father was a German-Jewish immigrant. Sadly, his mother passed away from cancer when he was seven years old.

He started earning money as a photographer when he was just 14. At 18, he went to study photography at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. In 1956, he moved to New York City. There, he took pictures of jazz musicians for their album covers. His early work was inspired by other famous photographers like Eugène Atget and Walker Evans.

Grants and Recognition

In 1960, Friedlander received a Guggenheim Fellowship. This important grant helped him focus on his art. He received more grants in 1962 and 1977. His work gained more attention over the years. In 2009, one of his photos from the late 1970s sold for $37,500 at an auction.

Friedlander mostly uses small, hand-held Leica cameras. He also uses black-and-white film. His style focuses on showing the "social landscape" of cities. His photos capture everyday urban life. They show reflections in store windows, buildings framed by fences, and various posters and signs. All these elements combine to show what "modern life" looks like.

Major Exhibitions and Projects

In 1963, Lee Friedlander had his first solo exhibition. It was at the International Museum of Photography at George Eastman House. He was also a key artist in the important "New Documents" exhibition in 1967. This show was at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Other famous photographers like Garry Winogrand and Diane Arbus were also featured.

Awards and Later Work

In 1990, Friedlander received a MacArthur Fellowship. This is a very prestigious award. In 2005, the Museum of Modern Art held a huge show of his work. It included almost 400 photographs from the 1950s up to that time. This show was also presented in 2008 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

More recently, in 2023, filmmaker Joel Coen helped put together an exhibition of Friedlander's photos. These were shown at galleries in San Francisco and New York.

Photographing His Surroundings

When Friedlander suffered from arthritis and had to stay home, he started photographing his immediate surroundings. His book Stems shows his life during the time he had knee replacement surgery. He said his "limbs" reminded him of plant stems.

Friedlander also spent 20 years photographing parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. He started this project in 1988 for the Canadian Centre for Architecture. His series includes famous parks like Central Park in New York City. It also features Prospect Park in Brooklyn and Niagara Falls State Park. The Metropolitan Museum of Art held an exhibition of his Central Park photos. A book called Photographs: Frederick Law Olmsted Landscapes was also published.

Today, Friedlander mainly uses medium format cameras. These cameras, like the Hasselblad Superwide, capture even more detail.

Personal Life

Lee Friedlander is known for being quite private. However, he did give an interview to The New York Times in April 2023. In this interview, he talked about his photography work.

He married his wife, Maria, in 1958. She has been the subject of many of his portraits. Their daughter, Anna, is married to photographer Thomas Roma. Their son, Erik, is a talented cellist and composer.

Awards and Honors

Lee Friedlander has received many important awards for his photography:

• 1960: Guggenheim Fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
• 1962: Guggenheim Fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
• 1977: Guggenheim Fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
• 1986: Edward MacDowell Medal, MacDowell Colony, Peterborough, NH.
• 1990: MacArthur Fellowship from the MacArthur Foundation.
• 2003: Special 150th Anniversary Medal and Honorary Fellowship (HonFRPS) from the Royal Photographic Society.
• 2005: Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography from the Hasselblad Foundation.
• 2006: Infinity Award for Lifetime Achievement from the International Center of Photography, New York.
• 2018: Lifetime Achievement, Lucie Awards.

Exhibitions

Solo Shows

• 1963: George Eastman House, his first solo exhibition.
• 2005: Friedlander, Museum of Modern Art, New York City.
• 2008: Friedlander, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco.
• 2008: Lee Friedlander: A Ramble in Olmsted Parks, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
• 2010: America by Car, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City.

Group Shows

• 1966: Toward a Social Landscape, George Eastman House, Rochester, NY.
• 1967: New Documents, Museum of Modern Art, New York. With Garry Winogrand and Diane Arbus.

See also

In Spanish: Lee Friedlander para niños