Description

Constantine Manos has photographed the United States in colour for decades. He worked on it between commercial assignments, seeking out areas of human activity and exploring places that have become emblematic of American culture, like New Orleans, Atlantic City and New York City, pictured here in 2001.

By choosing a precise intersection between subject and time, he may transform the ordinary into the extraordinary and the real into the surreal

Constantine Manos
© Constantine Manos | Magnum Photos

Constantine Manos was born in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.A., of Greek immigrant parents. His photographic career began in the school camera club at the age of thirteen, and within several years, he was a working professional. He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a B.A. in English Literature.

Upon completion of his military service, he moved to New York, where he worked for Esquire, LIFE, and Look. These projects were all shot in black and white and led toward his career-defining work in the isolated villages of Greece. And then it all changed, as Manos wilfully switched to colour, which resulted in two books – American Color and American Color 2.

© Constantine Manos | Magnum Photos

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