Garry Winogrand

Garry Winogrand – Studies with Alexei Brodowitsch; Inspiration through Walker Evans

Garry Winogrand was born in New York on 14 January 1928. His parents immigrated from Hungary and Poland to the USA where his father earned a living as a blue-collar worker in the clothing industry. Gary Winogrand grew up in modest conditions, where often the only amusement was the curious ramble through the Bronx, a working-class New York neighbourhood with Jewish flavour. Despite the adverse conditions, he graduated High School, and following military service with the American Air Force, started a painting and photography course at Columbia University. Photography quickly crystalised as his actual focus and in 1951, Winogrand joined the photojournalism class of the Russian-born graphic designer Alexei Brodowitsch. At the same time, he started publishing pictorials in various magazines including illustrious names such as Harper’s Bazaar. In the 1960s, Winogrand recovered his former stomping ground, the streets, as his preferred workspace where he was also inspired by the work of the street photographer Walker Evans, who was the first to choose this subject for his work. 

A restless worker with a powerful estate

Garry Winogrand photographed almost restlessly on his excursions through the streets of the big cities, hardly missing a motif, and, according to an account by his former student Mason Resnick, easily used up a complete roll of film for one housing block. At that rate, the photographer obviously did not have the chance to review his images. Since he insisted his whole life on working on his own, it was not uncommon for certain negatives not to be found and for the artist to search in vain for his own work. His estate was correspondingly extensive, and in addition to thousands of unsorted negatives, there were alone 2500 undeveloped films – a true treasure trove to be preserved for posterity. Garry Winogrand did not compose, he did not stage, he did not seek out, he simply photographed. Constantly, continually, at every moment – enough for several photographers’ lives. Perhaps he was driven because he suspected he was destined to only live a short life, and therefore rushed endlessly out onto the streets without interruption. 

Garry Winogrand photographed more than just the streets

Garry Winogrand founded his considerable fame almost exclusively on his work as a street photographer, although his actual oeuvre was broader and included, for example, a highly acclaimed photo book of animals. In the 1970s, Winogrand’s working methods changed; he no longer roamed the streets of Los Angeles on foot but had his photo laboratory assistant chauffeur him around in a car. He even no longer stepped out of the car, but took his pictures from the passenger seat – the consensus among connoisseurs was that the quality of his work steadily declined during these years. By this time, however, he had long since made himself immortal: Three Guggenheim fellowships underscored not only the artistic value of his photographs, but enabled him to travel throughout the USA, which he used to realise further projects, and as a teacher he worked at universities in New York, Chicago and Austin.

Garry Winogrand died from gallbladder cancer at the age of 56 on 19 March 1984 in Tijuana, Mexico.