Imogen Cunningham occupies a singular position in the history of American art of the 20th century. For over half the history of photography, she explored with innovation and news perspectives all the major traditions associated with the medium as fine art.
Cunningham has been most widely acclaimed for the photographs made during the 1920s and 1930s, particularly close-up images of plants and nudes. She also made portraits which are now considered classics in photography, including images of Alfred Stieglitz, Spencer Tracy, and Martha Graham.
She was a founding member of the West Coast-based Group f.64, which championed an un-manipulated, direct approach with the camera, or “straight” photography. Her photographs are represented in major collections and museums around the world.
(Font: Imogen Cunningham Trust)