American Surfaces by Stephen Shore

Stephen Shore, born 1947, was second to get a solo show at the MoMA by a living photographer. He started photographing at a very early age and already sold three prints when he was 14 to Edward Steichen, the curator of photography at the MoMA back then. During the early seventies, he started doing road trips, at first with another friend and later on all by himself. That's when the photographs below were shot. He titled them American Surfaces. Although they seem like regular snapshots at first, they're unmistakably by Stephen Shore. He simply wanted to record everything he came across. Along William Eggleston, he helped establishing colour photography where it is today. Many famous photographers (Nan Goldin, Thomas Struth and Martin Parr just to name a few) have listed him as one of their influences. His work American Surfaces may have not been well received by the audience back then, but it was certainly a turning point for him and colour photography. American Surfaces is one of my favourite photography books and an endless source of inspiration. If you have only the slightest interest in colour photography, I suggest you have a look at this book as noone handles colours in photographs as Stephen Shore.

© Phaidon Press Limited and the book is available on Amazon