One of the best known photographers of the 1960s and 70s “New Color Photography,” New York-born Joel Meyerowitz is a pioneer of color and street photography and many of his works became modern photography icons.  His first retrospective at Duesseldorf’s NRW Forum explores the full spectrum of his works over 50 years.

The fleeting moments of street life in New York City and other American cities, which Joel Meyerowitz has captured on his 35 mm camera since 1962, are some of the earliest and best known examples of color street photography at a time when color photography was still questioned as a serious art form.  Many of his photographs are icons of modern photography, and made Meyerowitz, along with William Eggleston and Stephen Shore, one of the most influential modern photographers and representatives of the “New Color Photography” of the 1960s and 70s.  The Joel Meyerowitz retrospective, September 27, 2014 – January 11, 2015, is the first exhibit in Germany that shows the full spectrum of Meyerowitz’ career, including early black-and-white photographs from the 1960s.

His career as a photographer began in 1962, when he decided to quit an art-director position to pursue photography – and color-photography – full time.  A trip to Europe in 1966/67 marks a turning point in his career as he reflected on his use of color photography. Works from that period were shown in a 1968 solo exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art under the title “From a Moving Car.”  Images he took at Cape Cod in an exploration of achromatic variations of light were published in 1978 in a book titled Cape Light and today mark a milestone in photography.  In 2011, he photographed the aftermath of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center.  Images from all these and other periods and projects, including portraits, are shown at the retrospective curated by Ralph Goertz, Director of Germany’s Institute for Art Documentation (Institut für Kunstdokumentation – IKS).  The event also includes the world premiere of a documentary about Meyerowitz’ life and work, which was filmed over a period of three years in France, Italy, and the US.  Moreover, free tours in English are available on Sunday, September 28, and Friday, October 10, and additional group tours in English can be booked at a fee.

Düsseldorf’s tourism office is offering hotel and city specials for many of the city’s art events throughout 2014, including “Joel Meyerowitz – Retrospective.”  The package, called “Düsseldorf à la Card,” can be booked right from the tourism office’s website at https://www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de/en/accommodation/hotel-packages/duesseldorf-a-la-card/.  Prices start at €49 per night per person based on double-occupancy for a 2-3-star hotel in the city center and at €95 per person for a 4-star hotel.  The package includes breakfast, one DüsseldorfCard (free public transportation within city limits plus 30 free or reduced admissions to city attractions), and a city information package. Please check the website for current information.

For more information about the exhibit, please visit www.nrw-forum.de.

For more information about the destination Düsseldorf, please visit: www.visitduesseldorf.de.