Arthur Tress
Encyclopedia
Arthur Tress is a notable American photographer born on November 24, 1940 in Brooklyn
, New York
. He is well known for his staged surrealism and exposition of the human body.
Currently resides in Cambria, California
where he grew up. The youngest of three children in a divorced family, Arthur spent time in his early life with both of his parents: his father who re-married and lived in an upper class neighbourhood, and his mother, who remained single after the divorce and whose life was not nearly so luxurious. In high school, he also studied the art of painting. Author Tress mainly took landscaped photos in his childhood.
degree in 1962, Arthur moved to Paris, France to attend Film School. While living in France, Arthur traveled to many locations, including Japan, Africa, Mexico, and through most of Europe. While on these journeys, he observed many secluded tribes and cultures. He was fascinated by the roles played by the shaman of the different people groups he visited. The cultures he was introduced to would play a permanent role in his later work.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He is well known for his staged surrealism and exposition of the human body.
Education
- Abraham Lincoln High School, Coney Island, New York
- B.F.A. Bard CollegeBard CollegeBard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY - Film School in Paris France
Currently resides in Cambria, California
Cambria, California
Cambria is a seaside village located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the California State Route 1 . The name Cambria was settled upon in 1869 .It is a census-designated place in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States...
Early life
First photograph at age 12. Arthur Tress' first subjects were circus freaks and dilapidated buildings around Coney IslandConey Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
where he grew up. The youngest of three children in a divorced family, Arthur spent time in his early life with both of his parents: his father who re-married and lived in an upper class neighbourhood, and his mother, who remained single after the divorce and whose life was not nearly so luxurious. In high school, he also studied the art of painting. Author Tress mainly took landscaped photos in his childhood.
After College
After graduating from Bard College with a Bachelor of Fine ArtsBachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
degree in 1962, Arthur moved to Paris, France to attend Film School. While living in France, Arthur traveled to many locations, including Japan, Africa, Mexico, and through most of Europe. While on these journeys, he observed many secluded tribes and cultures. He was fascinated by the roles played by the shaman of the different people groups he visited. The cultures he was introduced to would play a permanent role in his later work.
Collections
- Museum of Modern Art, New York, New York
- Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York
- International Museum of Photography, Rochester, New York
- Center for Contemporary Photography, Chicago, Illinois
- Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, France
- Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France
- Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam Netherlands
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California
- Museum of Fine Art, Houston, Texas
- Whitney Museum of Art, New York, New York
- Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, California
Monographs & Books of Photography
- Open Space in the Inner City: Ecology and the Urban Environment. New York: New York State Council on the Arts, 1971
- Arthur Tress: The Dream Collector. Text by John Minahan. Richmond: Westover Publishing Company, 1972 and New York: Avon Books, 1974
- Shadow. A Novel in Photographs. New York: Avon Books, 1975
- Theater of the Mind. Text by Duane Michaels, Michel Tournier and A.D. Coleman. Dobbs Ferry: Morgan and Morgan, 1976.
- Reves. Text by Michel Tournier. Brussels: Edition Complexe, 1979.
- Memories. Photographs by Arthur Tress, Poems by Guillaume Apollinaire. 21st Editions, 2003
Current & Future Projects
- Fish Tank Sonata. Bulfinch Press, 2000.
- Arthur Tress: Fantastic Voyage : Photographs 1956-2000. Bulfinch, 2001.
- Male of the Species: Four Decades of Photography by Arthur Tress. Text by Michale Tournier. Fotofactory Press, 1999.
- Teapot Opera. Abbeville Press, 1988
- Arthur Tress: Facing Up. Top Choice Press, LLC, 2004.
External links
- Artist’s Homepage
- Artist's "Photographs from the 'Tao of Physics' Series" at the National Academy of Sciences in 2004-2005
- 21st Editions Memories photographs by Arthur Tress