Zoe Strauss has hit the big time. Although you may never heard of her, this Philly-based photographer is one of the 101 artists selected for the 2006 Whitney Biennial. Self educated, she started taking pictures at age 30 and now finds herself in the most prestigious biennial exhibition in America.
The Philadelphia Inquirer ran this story on her and reported that her photographs are available directly from the artist for $300 a pop. Dozens of images are available for viewing on her website. If $300 is too much, she'll make you a 5 x 7 color photocopy for five bucks. Zoe talks at length about her upcoming Whitney experience on her blog. Shock and awe may be the best way to describe her reaction to the inclusion of her works in the Biennial.
Go Zoe go!
I love Zoe's work....but I wrote her a note via her website about purchasing and received a loud silence in reply. Maybe the gallery thing has affected her?
Posted by: Alan | February 22, 2006 at 08:26 PM
Thanks for the shout out my friends!
Just putting out there that my laptop crashed and I lost at least 2 weeks of email...please resend any emails you have sent the last 2 weeks AND I'm super crazy busy with the Whitney and all so it might be a while before I get back to you.
Thanks!
-ZS
Posted by: Zoe Strauss | February 25, 2006 at 10:02 AM
Zoe Strauss may have "hit the big time" but is it on the merits of her work or her unusual marketing tactics?... she's entirely overrated and once she's had her 15 minutes, next year she'll be just a google footnote, along with so many other Whitney Biennial "finds" over the years.
If you want to see truly compelling, incisive photographs on the same South Philly neighborhood where Zoe Strauss works, then just look at Atlanta photographer Marilyn Suriani's years-long series on her hometown. It has everything that Strauss' work doesn't--controlled taut mastery of the medium, visual complexity, and intelligence, and revelations about the human comedy and this particular place.
p.s. I should disclose that Suriani is a friend but a photographer who I long respected before I ever knew her personally.
Ellen Fleurov
Posted by: Ellen Fleurov | March 07, 2006 at 11:09 AM
Whoa, sour grapes!
Posted by: Zoe Strauss | March 26, 2006 at 05:37 PM
no kidding.
Posted by: Erik Schneider | March 27, 2006 at 01:11 PM