A century of abstract photography, plus four other photo shows worth checking out

Spring has finally arrived and with it comes an array of excellent photographic exhibitions opening across the country, including the first museum survey of Deana Lawson’s work, a group show that explores the relationship between writing and photography, and early photographs created by André Kertész during his time in Paris in the 1920s. Read on to see what else we’re excited to see this season. 

Deana Lawson 

The first museum survey of Deana Lawson’s work will be on view this summer at MoMA PS1. Lawson has spent the last 15 years exploring and challenging how Black life is represented in mainstream media, through a mixture of documentary photography, staged tableaux, portraiture, and appropriated images. The work is often focused on themes of love, family, and desire. Deana Lawson features over 50 images shot from 2004 to the present day—it explores a wide variety of Lawson’s photographic styles, creating a narrative arc of her expansive artistic vision. 

Where: MoMA PS1 in New York 

When: Through September 5, 2022

For more info on the exhibition, go to the museum’s website at MOMA.org.

In Focus: Writing for the Camera 

Ten photographers explore the relationship between writing and photography in this group exhibition currently on view at The Getty in Los Angeles. Drawn largely from The Getty’s permanent collection, the show features works from the 1970s to the present day from photographers like Sophie Calle, Marcia Resnick, Carrie Mae Weems, Laura Aguilar, Allan Sekula, and Shirin Neshat. Many of the photographs on view showcase text or include subjects in the act of writing. Combined, the show explores how these two mediums often influence one another.

Where: The Getty in Los Angeles

When: Through May 29, 2022

For more info on the exhibition, go to the museum’s website at Getty.edu.

André Kertész: Postcards from Paris 

Postcards from Paris is the first exhibition that brings together André Kertész’s carte postale prints, which were made in the earliest days of his career while living in Paris. The photos in this exhibition were made between 1925 and 1928 and are printed on an inexpensive, but high-quality postcard paper. When viewed together they offer insight into Kertész’s early experimental years as a photographer and show how Paris proved to be a vibrant community for artists of the era. Ultimately it’s a rare look into the mind of one of the pioneers of photography. 

Where: The High Museum in Atlanta 

When: Through May 29, 2022 

For more info on the exhibition, go to the museum’s website at High.org.

Look at the USA: Peter van Agtmael 

Documentary photographer Peter van Agtmael focuses on the post-9/11 United States both at home and abroad through 128 photographs taken between 2006 and 2021 in Look at the USA.  The exhibition examines the domestic consequences of the wars in the Middle East, the rise of nationalism and militarism, as well as social issues related to race and class. The images are accompanied by text that explains van Agtmael’s motivations and thoughts as he made these pictures. 

Where: Bronx Documentary Center in New York 

When: Through June 26, 2022

For more info on the exhibition, go to the center’s website at Bronxdoc.org.

Curious Visions: Towards Abstract Photography

This group exhibition features approximately 60 images from the last 100 years and dives into the more abstract side of photography. The show includes historical images from photographers such as Man Ray, Aaron Siskind, and Berenice Abbott. It also showcases contemporary pieces from artists like Gary Emrich, Laura Letinsky, and Alison Rossiter. In addition to surveying experimental techniques from the past century, the show also offers interactive elements for viewers to learn more about the mechanics of photography.

Where: Denver Art Museum 

When: Through June 19, 2022

For more info on the exhibition, go to the museum’s website at Denverartmuseum.org.