Lewis Baltz, a native of Newport Beach, California, pursued higher education at the San Francisco Art Institute and obtained an MFA from the esteemed Claremont Graduate School in 1971. A successful stint as a freelance photographer in California followed, during which he also imparted his expertise as a photography instructor at esteemed institutions such as the California Institute of the Arts, University of California (Riverside and Santa Cruz), Yale, École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and the Art Academy of Helsinki.
Baltz has been recognized for his contributions to the field of photography with prominent displays in major exhibitions, including the renowned New Topographics at George Eastman House in 1975 and Mirrors and Windows at the Museum of Modern Art in 1978. His accolades include grants from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1973 and 1977, as well as a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in 1977. Additionally, Baltz has undertaken commissioned projects for esteemed institutions such as the Corcoran Gallery of Art, producing The Nation’s Capital in Photographs, and the Nevada State Arts Commission, resulting in Near Reno.
Since the mid-1980s, Baltz has been based in Europe and frequently jet sets across the globe. His photography typically revolves around a central theme or geographical focus and is often published in book form, exemplified by works such as The New Industrial Parks Near Irvine, California (1975), Nevada (1978), and Park City (1981). Baltz’s oeuvre, in sync with other artists associated with the New Topographics movement, challenges the conventional landscape photography style of the nineteenth century, as epitomized by icons like Timothy O’Sullivan, Carleton Watkins, and William Henry Jackson. His perspective on the landscape traverses beyond its natural beauty, lending insight into the impact of contemporary culture and suburban development on the nation’s terrain. His books, Rule Without Exception (1991), Lewis Baltz: Politics of Bacteria, and Docile Bodies, Ronde de Nuit (1998), feature splendid color photography capturing Europe’s urban landscapes.
www.ftn-books.com has the Stedelijk Museum catalog for the Baltz exhibition now available.
