Steve Schapiro: Warhol, Reed, Bowie

Date: 9/13/2014 - 1/15/2015
Whether you realize it or not, you’ve probably seen one of Steve Schapiro’s photographs before now.

Compelled to capture “decisive moments” throughout New York thanks to the father of photojournalism, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Schapiro went on to study formally under renowned documentarian W. Eugene Smith, who helped cultivate his technical skills.

Schapiro began working as a freelance photojournalist in 1961. He documented the Civil Rights movement, the Haight-Ashbury scene and the presidential campaign of Robert Kennedy. He also photographed many of the art stars and rock stars that would shape that era’s aesthetic and sound.

Schapiro’s pictures of Andy Warhol, Lou Reed and David Bowie portray these iconic subjects at pivotal moments in their career. Whether staged for public consumption or caught behind-the-scenes, Schapiro’s pictures reveal how these celebrities lived, worked and played.

Throughout his fifty-year career, Schapiro has made it his mission to chronicle American life. His work can be found everywhere from magazine covers to museum collections. Whether shooting cultural, social or political subjects, Schapiro’s signature humanistic approach frames every image.




















John Metido is an oil painter who gives the centuries old trompe l’oeil technique a contemporary twist by depicting pop subject matter.




Image: Erin M. Chlagmo, Herniated Privilege, 2012. Found textiles, acrylic paint, gouache, PVA. 52 x 43 inches.