Garry Winogrand American photographer Date of Birth: 14.01.1928 Country: USA

Biography of Harry Winogrand

American photographer Harry Winogrand was born on January 14, 1928, in the Bronx, New York. He grew up in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, with his father Abraham working in the leather industry and his mother Bertha as a seamstress.

Winogrand studied painting at the City College of New York and later pursued photography at Columbia University, where he learned under the guidance of Alexey Brodovich and honed his skills in photojournalism. In the 1950s, his documentary photographs were already being published in various publications, establishing him as a renowned street photographer.

Known for his impulsive and candid street photographs, Winogrand captured the essence of New York City through his camera lens. He approached his subjects with an engaging smile, often in the midst of bustling city streets, capturing the spontaneity of everyday life. In the 1955 exhibition "The Family of Man" at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, his work was featured, marking a significant milestone in his career. His first solo exhibition took place in 1959 at the Image Gallery.

Winogrand's talent was further recognized in 1963 when he participated in the exhibition "Five Unrelated Photographers" at the Museum of Modern Art. During this period, he formed a lasting friendship with fellow photographer Lee Friedlander. In 1964, Winogrand received a Guggenheim Fellowship, which allowed him to focus on his art and travel across America, capturing the essence of the nation through his camera lens. Some of the photographs taken during his travels were featured in the exhibition "New Documents."

In 1969, Winogrand received another Guggenheim grant, and between 1969 and 1976, he captured approximately 6,500 images on over 700 rolls of film, focusing on public events. These photographs were later exhibited in the "Public Relations" exhibition. He received a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in 1975 and his third Guggenheim grant in 1979.

Winogrand moved to Los Angeles, California, and captured around 8,500 rolls of film in the state. He also taught photography at the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago from 1971 to 1972 and at the University of Texas in Austin from 1973 to 1978.

Throughout his life, Winogrand was married three times. He first married Adrienne Lebow in 1952, with whom he had two children, Laurie and Ethan. They divorced in 1966. He then married Judy Teller in 1967, but their marriage ended in 1969. In 1972, Winogrand married Eileen Adele Hale, with whom he had a daughter named Melissa.

Tragically, Harry Winogrand passed away on March 19, 1984, at the age of 56, from gallbladder cancer. He left behind approximately 300,000 unpublished photographs, some of which have been exhibited posthumously. Winogrand's legacy extends beyond his photographs, as he was also known for his insightful quotes about photography, including his famous response to why he takes photographs: "I photograph to find out what the world looks like in photographs."