Dear photographers, if you are reading this article, we think you are one of the few individuals left who are keen on pursuing photography in all its seriousness. Joel Meyerowitz is a visionary whose impactful color photography has revolutionized perspectives. Throughout his impressive career spanning decades, he has courageously pushed boundaries, earning distinction as a leading figure in street and fine art photography. Thus, we are pleased to announce that the NSU Art Museum is organizing a grand exhibit of his stellar works. We mean it when we say this display will change your perspective on the medium and set your work apart.
The lead image is by Joel Meyerowitz, courtesy of NSU Art Museum and used with permission.
The exhibition Joel Meyerowitz: Temporal Aspects is an in-depth showcase of some of his most extraordinary photographs. NSU Art Museum, which recently acquired 1,800 images of the renowned photographer, aims to guide the audience through Meyerowitz’s integral role in transforming color photography and his craftsmanship in capturing his surroundings with precision and a keen eye.
In 1962, Meyerowitz decided to pursue the art form, which altered his life. Today, the author has earned two Guggenheim Fellowship Awards and the National Endowment for the Arts award, published 25 books, and organized 350 exhibits.
Thus, Temporal Aspects offers a retrospective view of the photographer’s fruitful career, underscoring his early works and his proficiency in capturing what Henri Cartier-Bresson best expresses as “the decisive moment.” Viewers will notice the shift in Joel Meyerowitz’s visual narrative and the transient nature of the moment captured within the prints. The ever-moving hues of color, the influence of Kodak’s resin-coated paper, and the author’s understanding of what’s in front of him will leave your senses tingling.
Joel Meyerowitz
For instance, the photograph of the flying hammock captures movement and stillness effectively. You can’t help but notice the captivating splash of red. It’s truly a standout amidst the sea of other shades. Your gaze will then fall on the grass, and the last view you’ll witness is the glimmering ocean. The image is surprising for sure and quite paradoxical, so to speak. The hammock seems defiant in the stillness of other elements as if encouraging the grass and the ocean to follow its rhythm. Between this challenge, one is welcome to stay for longer to absorb the relaxing color platter. The greens merge with browns, blues, and beiges, with the red line at the center disrupting that symphony. Pretty much like the middle child not getting enough attention. Interestingly, the more you stare, the more layers you peel back. For instance, the emergence of shapes. The horizontal sea stands against the vertical bars and strands of grass. Perhaps the image wouldn’t be what it is without light in the backdrop. It’s a picture that leaves an imprint on your mind.
They [photographs] teach you about your own unraveling past, or about the immediacy of yesterday. They show you what you look at. If you take a photograph, you’ve been responsive to someting, and you looked hard at it. Hard for a thousandth of a second, hard for ten minutes. But hard, nonetheless. And it’s the quality of that bite that teaches you how connected you were to that thing, and where you stood in relation to it, then and now.
Joel Meyerowitz
Like this image, the exhibition will follow a chronological and thematic arrangement. Visitors will see his landscape works, famous street photographs, and portraits, which also make up his oeuvre. The display will also include Joel Meyerowitz’s personal notes and offer a glimpse into his process.
The show’s curators are the Director and Chief Curator of NSU Art Museum of Fort Lauderdale, Bonnie Clearwater, and Bryant-Taylor Curator Ariella Wolens. Joel Meyerowitz: Temporal Aspects will commence on October 5, 2024, and conclude on March 16, 2025. For more information, visit the NSU Art Museum’s website.