Barry McGee: Photography

Though best known for the inventive graphic sensibility of his paintings and drawings, McGee’s use of photography is an essential, often underappreciated, component of his artistic vision. Captured at all hours and around the world with whatever camera is at hand, McGee’s images are immediate, casual, intimate, and anarchic all at once. His work boldly employs geometric shapes, clusters of framed drawings and paintings, distinctive characters, and found objects such as empty bottles, surfboards, and wrecked vehicles. Whether incorporated into his iconic multi-element compositions, or printed in the innumerable fanzines and artist’s books that often accompany his exhibitions, photographs pervade McGee’s practice. Barry McGee: Photographs provides unique insight into the process of a major American artist, and is a testament to the immense amount of visual information McGee has absorbed to build one of the most eclectic and innovative artistic legacies of our time.