Description

Dennis Stock travelled the state of California during the late 1960s, exploring the explosion of art, culture, spirituality, music and invention. He sought subjects that “have a broad spectrum of visual possibilities and that might enlighten me.” Inspired by the dedication of Magnum photographer W. Eugene Smith, he was intent in revealing the “truth” of whatever he was capturing.

Art is a well-articulated manifestation of an aspect of life

Dennis Stock
© Dennis Stock | Magnum Photos

Dennis Stock was born in 1928 in New York City. At the age of 17, he left home to join the United States Navy. In 1947, he became an apprentice to Life magazine photographer Gjon Mili and won first prize in Life’s Young Photographers contest. He joined Magnum in 1951.

Stock evoked the spirit of America through his memorable and iconic portraits of Hollywood stars, most notably James Dean. Other notable projects include his work on the jazz scene and on the California free-loving counter-culture of the 1960s. In the 1990s he went back to his urban origins, exploring the modern architecture of large cities and his later work was mostly focused on the abstraction of flowers.

Dennis Stock resided in Woodstock, New York, until his death in 2010.

© Dennis Stock | Magnum Photos

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