Zoe Strauss

Zoe Strauss (born 1970) is an American photographer.

Biography

Born in Philadelphia, Strauss was given a camera for her 30th birthday and started taking pictures of life in the city’s marginal neighborhoods. She is a photo-based installation artist who uses Philadelphia as a primary setting and subject for her work. Out in the streets, Strauss typically photographs whatever strikes her interest, paying particular attention to the overlooked (or purposefully avoided) details of life.

In 1995, she started the Philadelphia Public Art Project, a one-woman organization whose mission is to give the citizens of Philadelphia access to art in their everyday lives.Strauss’s photographic work culminates in a yearly “Under I-95” show, which takes place beneath the Interstate highway in South Philadelphia. She displays her photographs on concrete pillars under the highway and sells photocopied prints of her work for $5 each. Strauss now calls the Philadelphia Public Art Project an “epic narrative” of her own neighborhood. “When I started shooting, it was as if somewhere hidden in my head I had been waiting for this,” she says.

In 2002, she received a Seedling Award in photography from the Leeway Foundation. In 2005, she received a Pew Fellowship.In 2006, her work was included in the Whitney Biennial; she also mounted a solo exhibition, [http://www.icaphila.org/exhibitions/past/strauss.php "Ramp Project: Zoe Strauss"] at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia.

The first member of her immediate family to graduate from high school, Strauss is deeply connected to her roots and her surroundings. She frequently shoots near her grandparents' former home at 16th and Susquehanna, and her mother lives a few blocks from Strauss' rowhouse (her father died when she was 6). Three younger siblings - there are three surnames between them - are artistic, "super smart and engaging." Brother Cosmo Baker is a noted DJ in Philadelphia and New York. [Heller, Karen (2006-02-15), Page A01, “Suddenly, Her Images Clicked”. Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA)]

Strauss’s photos of shuttered buildings, empty parking lots and vacant meeting halls illuminate her South Philly neighborhood’s grim character. Her intimate portraits capture the dignified resignation of its residents. Strauss says her work is “a narrative about the beauty and difficulty of everyday life." [Sozanski, Edward J (2004-04-30), Page W25, "Taking Images of the streets back to their birthplace. Catch it While you can: Photos Alfresco Returns". Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA)]

The artist is currently represented by Bruce Silverstein Gallery, New York, NY.

Grants and Awards

*2007 USA Gund Fellow, Visual Arts

*2005 Pew Fellowship in the Arts

*2004 Arcadia University Works on Paper “Friends of Arcadia Award”

*2002 Leeway Emerging Artist grant

olo Exhibitions

* 2008 Depauw University, Greencastle, IN

* 2007 IF YOU READING THIS, Silverstein Photography, New York, NY

* 2007 I-95 Works in Progress, Etc. Galerie, Prague, Czech Republic

* 2006 Ramp Project, Philadelphia Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, PA

* 2006 Projected and Selected Images, Acuna-Hansen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

* 2001-2007 (ongoing until 2010) Under 95 exhibit, Front St. and Mifflin St., the 1st weekend of May annually, Philadelphia, PA

* 2002-2006 (ongoing until 2009) Works-in-Progress exhibit, Southwark Community Center, last week of October annually, Philadelphia, PA

Group Exhibitions

* 2006 “This Is America,” Centraal Museum, Utrecht, Netherlands

* 2006 Philadelphia Museum of Art, Summer Vacation: Photographs from the Collection, Philadelphia, PA

* 2006 Whitney Biennial: Day for Night, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY

* 2004 Arcadia University, Works on Paper juried group exhibit

* 2004 Philadelphia Institute of Contemporary Art, Big Nothing Cabaret participant

* 2002 Philadelphia Art Alliance, Leeway Award winners group show

* 1997 Indianapolis Installation Festival, Whirlforce Medical Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN, Juried Exhibition, 3rd in show

Commissions

* 2007 Philadelphia Eagles/Lincoln Financial Field, vinyl print of Mattress Flip

* 2004-2005 St. James collection, 200 photos

Public Collections

* The Philadelphia Museum of Art

Press

* 2007 Roberta Smith, The New York Times review, June 8, 2007. The New Yorker review, June 11 & 18, 2007. The Village Voice review, June 13 – 19, 2007

* 2006 Jean Dykstra, “Out From the Underpass: The Photos of Zoe Strauss” Art On Paper, Sept/Oct 2006. Brian O'Connor, “One to Watch: Zoe Strauss" Photo District News EDU, Fall/Winter 2006. Public Space Issue 1, Cover Photograph. Interview with Katherine Ware, Exposure magazine, Spring 2006. Roberta Fallon, “Ode de Cologne,” Philadelphia Weekly, May 17, 2006, Arts Feature. Roberta Fallon, “Just Whitney,” Philadelphia Weekly, March 29, 2006, Arts Feature. Edward J. Sozanski, " A Noisy Biennial at the Whitney," Philadelphia Inquirer, March 12, 2006, H1. Matt Schwartz, “Local Talent, Zoe Strauss,” Philadelphia Magazine, March 2006. Karen Heller, “Self-educated Photographer Wins Acclaim,” Philadelphia Inquirer, Feb. 15, 2006, A1, front page feature with online slide show

* 2005 A.D. Amorosi, “Public Worker,” City Paper, December 15th, 2005, Arts FeatureRoberta Fallon, “Candid Camera: South Philly photographer Zoe Strauss seeks out the forgotten," Philadelphia Weekly, April 20, 2005, Arts Feature

* 2004 Adam Fifield , " Exhibit provides a new meaning for 'outsider art'," Philadelphia Inquirer, May 2, 2004, City and Region, B1. Edward J. Sozanski, " Taking images of the streets back to their birthplace," Philadelphia Inquirer, April 30, 2004, Weekend Section Cover, W25

References

External links

* [http://www.zoestrauss.com/ Zoe Strauss Official Website]
* [http://www.whitney.org/www/2006biennial/artists.php?artist=Strauss_Zoe Whitney Museum of American Art]
* [http://www.pewarts.org/2005/strauss/index.html Pew Fellowships in the Arts]
* [http://www.icaphila.org/exhibitions/past/strauss.php Institute of Contemporary Art]
* [http://www.leeway.org/grantees.php?s1=year&s2=2002&ID=107 Leeway Foundation]
* [http://nyartsmagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6117&Itemid=235 New York Arts Magazine]
* [http://www.pdnedu.com/features/0906onetowatch.shtml pdnedu; The Magazine for Emerging Photographers and Photo Educators]
* [http://www.artonpaper.com/bi/v11n01/focuson.php Art On Paper Magazine]
* [http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/11/19/travel/tmagazine/19liberal.html New York Times]
* [http://citypaper.net/articles/2003-05-29/artpicks3.shtml Philadelphia City Paper]
* [http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/view.php?id=9350 Philadelphia Weekly]
* [http://www.whyy.org/news/stories2005.html Interview with Zoe Strauss on NPR afiliate WHYY:]
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/dragonballyee/sets/72057594128631037/ Flickr set of Strauss' 2006 I-95 Show]
* [http://silversteinphotography.com/artist.php?id=135 Zoe Strauss at the Bruce Silverstein Gallery, New York, NY]