Alex Webb: The Suffering of Light

Gathering images from the far corners of the globe, The Suffering of Light is the most comprehensive exhibition ever shown in the United States charting the career of acclaimed American photographer Alex Webb. Recognized as a pioneer of American color photography, Webb has consistently created photographs characterized by intense color and light since the 1970s. His work, with its richly layered and complex composition, touches on multiple genres, including street photography, photojournalism, and fine art, but as Webb claims, “To me it all is photography. You have to go out and explore the world with a camera.” After tiring of photographing in his native New England, Webb found himself drawn to the unique energy and emotional vibrancy of Haiti and the Caribbean, and the mingling of cultures along the U.S.-Mexico border. Webb’s ability to distill gesture, color, and contrasting cultural tensions into single, beguiling frames results in evocative images that convey a sense of enigma, irony, and humor. This major exhibition provides the most thorough examination of Webb’s prolific thirty-year career to date, featuring key works alongside previously unpublished photographs.