Cavalier Gallery is pleased to present a 30-year
retrospective of the work of legendary photographer Steve McCurry. The exhibit features one important photograph
from each of the past thirty years, chosen by McCurry, including his seminal Afghan Girl from 1984. The images span continents and conflicts from
Kyoto to Peshawar. Portraits of
children, pilgrims, and farmers are presented alongside views of ancient
temples, busy city streets, dramatic mountain landscapes and quiet scenes of
daily life. In 2010, Eastman Kodak gave
McCurry the last roll of Kodachrome film ever produced and with it, and his
Nikon F6, he headed east to shoot thirty-six final frames with what he
describes as “the greatest film ever made.” One of these photos is included for
the year 2010.
Universally recognized as one of today’s
finest image-makers, Steve McCurry (b. 1950) creates richly-colored,
intricately-detailed photos which capture the essence of human struggle and joy
in the finest documentary tradition. He focuses on the human consequences
of war, not only showing what war impresses on the landscape, but also on the
human face. In addition to Afghan Girl, a National Geographic icon
after it was published on the cover of the June 1985 issue, the retrospective
will feature twenty-nine other works spanning the past three decades. McCurry has an uncanny ability to cross the
boundaries of culture and language to capture stories of human experience.
“Most of my images are grounded in people,” he says. “I look for the unguarded
moment, the essential soul peeking out, experience etched on a person’s face. I
try to convey what it is like to be that person, a person caught in a broader
landscape that you could call the human condition.”
Born in Philadelphia, McCurry graduated cum laude
from the College of Arts and Architecture at the Pennsylvania State
University. After working at a newspaper for two years, he left for India
to freelance. It was in India that McCurry learned to watch and wait on
life. If you wait, he realized, people will forget your camera and the
soul will drift up into view. A member of Magnum Photos since 1986, McCurry is
the recipient of numerous photographic awards and has been represented in every
major publication. Most recently, McCurry received the honor of Knight of the
Order of Arts and Letters from the French Ministry of Culture.
Cavalier Gallery president Ron Cavalier
states, “This retrospective is truly a special opportunity for collectors and
visitors of all ages. McCurry himself
selected thirty images to represent the very best of his work over three
decades. I am delighted to bring this
world-class show to the island. This
fall, one can see McCurry photographs on exhibit in Antwerp, Siena, Hamburg,
and right here on Nantucket.”
NANTUCKET 34 Main Street • Nantucket, MA • 02554 • 508.325.4405
GREENWICH 405 Greenwich Avenue • Greenwich, CT • 06830 • 203.869.3664
NEW YORK 15 East 71st Street, Suite 2a • New York, NY • 10021 • 212.570.4696
