Stephen Shore
Born in 1947 · United States
Describing the places we pass through.
The story
Stephen Shore photographs journeys and spaces transformed by human use. After his early experiments, he explored several cameras and formats. American Surfaces gathers a travel diary, while Uncommon Places offers a more detailed description using a large-format camera. Teaching and writing extend his thinking about how framing, focus and viewpoint organise our experience of the photographed world.
Understanding the work
Compare snapshots with large-format views. Camera position and the distribution of details turn an intersection or hotel room into a space to explore slowly, without a spectacular subject.
Key works and series
American Surfaces; Uncommon Places; The Nature of Photographs.
Sources & further exploration
Works in collections.
10 recordsPhotographs to explore on museum and library websites, with titles, dates and processes. Each link opens the collection record and its image where one is available.
- MoMA · 1965–1967
Edie Sedgwick from the series The Velvet Years: Warhol's Factory
Gelatin silver print, printed 2013
- MoMA · 1974
Room 131, Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge, Phillipsburg, New Jersey, June 21, 1974
Chromogenic print
- MoMA · 1974
2nd Street East and South Main Street, Kalispell, Montana, August 22, 1974
Chromogenic print, printed 2013
- MoMA · 1976
Georgetown County Court House, Georgetown, South Carolina, February 20, 1976
Chromogenic print, printed 2013
