PROFILE
Creator of The World Trade Center Archive Joel Meyerowitz is internationally renowned for his pioneering work in color photography and his view camera artistry. A Guggenheim Fellow and an NEA and NEH award-winner, Meyerowitz was the only photographer to gain unlimited access to Ground Zero after 9/11. Over a span of eight months, he took over 8,000 photographs of what he called "the forbidden city," capturing on film the monumental scale of the ruin as well as the moments of courage, compassion and solidarity during the recovery and cleanup.
"To me, no photographs meant no history," says Meyerowitz. "My task was to make a record of the aftermath: the awesome spectacle of destruction; the reverence for the dead; the steadfast, painstaking effort of recovery; the life of those whose act of salvation has embedded itself deeply into the consciousness of all of us in America and around the world." An exhibit from his World Trade Center Archive has traveled to over 200 cities in 60 countries, from Kabul to Lima to Beijing, and a permanent selection will be at the World Trade Center Museum.
His book Aftermath: The World Trade Center Archive featured 400 photographs of Ground Zero and the beauty and bravery Meyerowtiz observed amid the loss. The images in the book are interspersed with personal reminiscences and stories celebrating the thousands of people who worked at the site.
Meyerowitz is the author of 17 books, including Tuscany: Inside the Light; Bystander: The History of Street Photography; and Legacy: The Preservation of Wilderness in New York City Parks. His first book, Cape Light, is considered a classic of color photography and has sold more than 100,000 copies. His work has appeared in over 350 galleries and museums around the world, and has been featured by Nightline, The New York Times, People and CBS Sunday Morning.
His most recent books, published October 2012, include, Provence: Lasting Impressions, with co-author, novelist, and playwright Maggie Barrett and, Taking My Time, cureated by Meyerowitz, a two volume, limited edition retrospective of his career and includes nearly 600 images, some previously unpublished. Meyerowitz won the Lucie Foundation's 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2012 Centenary Medal from the Royal Photographic Society.
For a biography of Joel Meyerowitz, click here
“Joel Meyerowitz was amazing and such a pleasure to work with and everyone responded really well. The turnout was fabulous we had about 1000 people show up.”
-Utah State University