Photographers

Alec Soth (born 1969 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American photographer internationally recognized for his lyrical, narrative‑driven explorations of life in the United States. Working in the tradition of “on‑the‑road” photography pioneered by Walker Evans and Robert Frank, Soth creates large‑scale projects that blend documentary observation with poetic, emotionally resonant storytelling. His portraits, landscapes, and interior scenes often depict isolated individuals, dreamers, wanderers, and overlooked communities—forming intimate narratives about connection, longing, and the quiet dramas of everyday American life.

Soth first gained major prominence with *Sleeping by the Mississippi* (2004), a body of work photographed during road trips along the Mississippi River. The book’s mix of portraiture and atmospheric landscape established his distinct voice and led to his inclusion in the 2004 Whitney Biennial. Subsequent projects have explored themes of love and desire (*Niagara*, 2006), retreat and escape (*Broken Manual*, 2010), American social rituals (*Songbook*, 2015), interiority and emotional presence (*I Know How Furiously Your Heart Is Beating*, 2019), and the nature of photographic wandering (*A Pound of Pictures*, 2022). In 2024, he released *Advice for Young Artists*, reflecting on creativity and process.

Soth has exhibited widely, with major solo shows at institutions such as Jeu de Paume (Paris), the Walker Art Center (Minneapolis), Media Space (London), and the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum. His work is held in prominent museum collections including SFMOMA, MFA Houston, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and the Walker Art Center. A member of Magnum Photos since 2008, Soth also founded Little Brown Mushroom, a multimedia publishing platform devoted to experimental visual storytelling. Known for his humility and curiosity, Soth describes photography as a collaborative performance—an act rooted in empathy, chance encounters, and a deep fascination with the American landscape and its people.