(United States. 1939)
Through a painstakingly constructed somber world, Witkin tiredly refers to the sanctity of art history: Venus, virgins, still natures, Mexican altarpieces and Caravaggio-inspired chiaroscuros. His methodology recreates the studies of the classic schools, profaned by marginal characters among mutilated corpses, hermaphrodites and people with deformities. A referent of grotesque aesthetics and exalted sexuality, there have been numerous retrospective shows on his work at institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art of New York and the Centre George Pompidou in Paris.
Exhibitions
2016
Michel Soskine Inc., Madrid, Spain.
2015
Akron Museum of Art, Akron, Ohio, USA.
2012
Enfer ou Ciel, Bibliotèque Nationale de France, Paris, France.
Oeuvres récentes, Baudoin Lebon Gallery, Paris, France.
2010
1000 Eventi Gallery, Milan, Italy.
Minshar School of Art, Tel Aviv, Israel
2009
Nordic Light Festival, Kristiansund, Norway
Itaù Cultural Festival, Sao Paulo, Brazil
2008
Bruce Silverstein, New York, USA.
Catherine Edelman Gallery, Chicago, USA.
Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea, Milan, Italy.
2007
Joel-Peter Witkin, Palazzo Mediceo, Seravezza, Italy.
Galleria Ca di Fra, Milan, Italy.
Human Kind, Baudoin Lebon Gallery, París, Francia‘Les Relations de Monsieur Wierz, Musée Rops, Maison de la Culture, Namur, Belgium.
2006
Oeuvres récentes, Le Café Français, Bruselas, Belgium.
Oeuvres récentes, Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France.
Oeuvres récentes, Espace Jules Valles, Saint Martin d’Hères, France.
2005
Compassionate Beauty, Catherine Edelman Gallery, Chicago, USA.
Heart beats dust, Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles, USA.
Heart beats dust, Moscow House of Photography, Moscow, Russia.
Compassionate Beauty, Gary Tatintsian Gallery, Moscow, Russia.
2004
Heart Beats Dust, Ricco Maresca Gallery, New York, USA.
Heart Beats Dust, Baudoin Lebon Gallery, Paris, France.
Galería Clave, Murcia, Spain.
2003
Galería Juana de Aizpuru, Madrid, Spain.
Le Garage Gallery, Toulouse, France.
PHotoEspaña, Circulo de Bellas Artes, Madrid, Spain.
2002
Joel-Peter Witkin, Compassionate Beauty, Stadtmuseum, Jena, Germany.
Infinito Gallery, Turín, Italy.
Ricco Maresca Gallery, New York, USA.
Mystery of Presence, Baudoin Lebon Gallery, Paris, France.
2001
In and Out Of Life, Joel-Peter Witkin, Art Concern Gallery, Courtrai, Belgium.
2000
Baudoin Lebon Gallery, Paris, France.
Witkin, disciple et maître, Patrimoine Photographique, Hôtel Sully, París, Francia Centre d’Art, Pärno, Estonia
Centro Português de Fotografia, Lisboa, Portugal Hellenic Union, Atenas, Greece
1999
Santa Fe Art Museum, Santa Fe, USA.
Camera Work Gallery, Berlin, Germany.
Slovenska Madrona Gallery, Bratislava, Slovenia
Pace Wildenstein Gallery, Tokio, Japan
1998
Lege Ruimte Gallery, Brujas, Belgium.
Cultuur Centrum, Brujas, Belgium.
Hanlim Museum, Seúl, Korea.
1997
Pace Wildenstein MacGill, New York, USA.
Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco, USA.
Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles, USA.
Pace Wildenstein, Los Angeles. USA.
Baudoin Lebon Gallery, París, Francia
Foto Massan, Goteborg, Sweden.
Objekte Gallery, Munich, Germany.
1996
David Floria Gallery, Aspen Colorado, USA.
Megan Fox Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.
Fototology Gallery, Milan, Italy.
Encontros de Fotografia Coimbra, Portugal
Les Rencontres d’Arles, Arles, France.
1995
Salomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA.
Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco, USA.
Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York, USA.
Galerie Baudoin Lebon, Paris, France.
Museo d’Arte Contemporaneo, Rivoli, Italy.
Stills Gallery, Edinburg, Scotland.
Interkamera, Prague, Czech Republic
1994
De La Tour Gallery, Basilea, Switzerland
La Tour Gallery, Amsterdam, Holland
Mokka Gallery, Reikiavik, Iceland
1993
Cahors Museum, Cahors, France
De La Tour Gallery, Basilea, Switzerland
Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York, USA.
Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco, USA.
Catherine Edelman Gallery, Chicago, USA.
Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles, USA.
Picture Photo Space, Osaka, Japan.
1992
Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, USA.
University of Illinois, Chapaign-Urbana, USA.
Picture Photo Space, Osaka, Japan.
Fotograficentrum, Stockholm, Sweden.
Studio of Young Artists Association, Budapest, Hungary.
1991
Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco, USA.
Pace/MacGill, New York, USA.
Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles, USA.
Hamiltons Gallery, London, United Kingdom.
Baudoin Lebon Gallery, Paris, France.
Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco, USA.
The Museum of Modern Art, Haifa, Israel.
1989
Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York, USA.
Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles, USA.
National Centre for Photography, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France.
Dart Gallery, Chicago, USA.
Museum für Fotografie und Zeitkunst, Bremen, Germany.
Encontros de Fotografia, Coimbra, Portugal.
Palau Sollerie, Palma, Spain.
1988
Tartt Gallery, Washington, D.C., EE.UU.
Hippolyte Photographic Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
Rotterdam Biennial, Holland.
MNCARS – Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain.
Hiram Butler Gallery, Houston, USA.
Brent Sikkema Gallery, Boston, USA.
1987
University of Illinois at Carbondale, Carbondale, USA.
La Jolla Museum of Contemporay Art, La Jolla, USA.
Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco, USA.
Wright State University, Dayton, USA.
Pace/McGill Gallery, New York, USA..
Watari Gallery, Tokio, Japan.
Baudoin Lebon Gallery, París, France
1986
The University of New México, Albuquerque, USA.
Anderes Ufer, Berlín, Germany.
Hochschule der Kunst, Berlín, Germany.
The Tartt Gallery, Washington, D.C., USA
Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, USA
Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, EE.UU.
Baudoin Lebon Gallery, París, France
Museum of Contemporary Photography, Columbia College, Chicago, USA.
Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York, USA.
1985
Forty Photographs, Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, USA.
The Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, USA.
American Images : Photography 1945-1980, Barbican Gallery, London, United Kingdom.
Aspen Museum, Aspen, USA.
Franco-American Institute, Paris, France.
Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York, USA.
The Unique Vision of Peter-Joel Witkin, Galerie Watari, Tokio, Japan
Butler Gallery, Houston, USA.
G.Ray Hawkins Gallery, Los Angeles, USA.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, USA.
FIAC 85. Gallery Texbraun, Grand Palais, Paris, France.
1984
Paul Cave Gallery, Philadelphia, USA
Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco, USA
Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York, USA
1983
Museum voor Actuele Kunst, Hasselt, Belgium.
Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco, USA
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Holland
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, USA
Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, USA
Hardison Fine Arts Gallery, New York, USA
1982
Texbraun Gallery, Paris, France.
San Francisco Camera Work, San Francisco, USA
1980
Projects Studio One, New York, USA.
The Cooper Union School of Fine Arts, New York, USA.
1969
The Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, USA.
1972
The Cooper Union School of Fine Arts, New York, USA.
1976
The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA.