For the first time in Italy, an anthological exhibition of the works of American photographer Bill Owens, presenting his entire cycle of photographs illustrating the American middle class lifestyle taken from the ‘70s to the present.
The exhibition will include the most significant photographs in Owens’ career: from his first pictures taken in California in 1966-67, to the cultural movements of ’68 and the first Rolling Stones concert; the cycles entitled Suburbia, dated 1972, Our Kind of People, dated 1976, Working (I do it for Money), dated 1978, Leisure: Americans at Play, a great fresco of leisure time, and his latest study, 115 days: A photographer’s journey across America, his solo tour of America: 4 months on the road, travelling 12,000 miles, more than 3,000 photographs.
From the ‘60s on Owens witnessed a very important social phenomenon: the wave of immigration to the western coast of the United States, followed by a rapid process of urbanisation, creating suburban areas entirely designed on the drawing board, with geometric shapes, roads that were all the same, prefabricated houses, two-car garages and backyard swimming pools.
His work illustrates a number of stereotypes of the suburban lifestyle: Tupperware parties, parades, garden parties.
Bill Owens’ photography is a sort of “visual anthropology”. His influences are Diane Arbus, Walker Evans, Weegee.
The photographs on exhibit belong to cycles that have never been shown in complete form in Europe.
For the first time in Italy, an anthological exhibition of the works of American photographer Bill Owens, presenting his entire cycle of photographs illustrating the American middle class lifestyle taken from the ‘70s to the present.
The exhibition will include the most significant photographs in Owens’ career: from his first pictures taken in California in 1966-67, to the cultural movements of ’68 and the first Rolling Stones concert; the cycles entitled Suburbia, dated 1972, Our Kind of People, dated 1976, Working (I do it for Money), dated 1978, Leisure: Americans at Play, a great fresco of leisure time, and his latest study, 115 days: A photographer’s journey across America, his solo tour of America: 4 months on the road, travelling 12,000 miles, more than 3,000 photographs.
From the ‘60s on Owens witnessed a very important social phenomenon: the wave of immigration to the western coast of the United States, followed by a rapid process of urbanisation, creating suburban areas entirely designed on the drawing board, with geometric shapes, roads that were all the same, prefabricated houses, two-car garages and backyard swimming pools.
His work illustrates a number of stereotypes of the suburban lifestyle: Tupperware parties, parades, garden parties.
Bill Owens’ photography is a sort of “visual anthropology”. His influences are Diane Arbus, Walker Evans, Weegee.
The photographs on exhibit belong to cycles that have never been shown in complete form in Europe.