Man Looking Back
photograph from the American Night series
2003
Artist Paul Graham
Collection of James K. Patterson
An English photographer noted for his depiction of everyday subjects in unexpected ways, Paul Graham is one of the preeminent art photographers working today. He came to Memphis as a part of a residency with Delta Axis to produce work that would later become part of his American Night series. His images were shown at an exhibition at the Power House gallery in 2003, including this piece, Man Looking Back. Intentionally blanched to the verge of vanishing, the image depicts a man on the margins of society, its ghostlike composition invoking allusions to the precariousness of survival and the transience of life. Graham was awarded the Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography for 2012, widely regarded as photography's top honor.
