Artist Database

Joel-Peter Witkin, born in 1939, in Brooklyn, NY, is an American photographer. He earned a BFA (1974) from Cooper Union School of Fine Art in New York City and an MA (1976) and MFA (1981) from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. His career began with unconventional subjects, including freak shows and combat photography in Vietnam. He later became known for his exploration of marginalized groups and death's beauty, inspired by traumatic childhood experiences and spiritual inquiries.

Influenced by earlier photographers like Henry Peach Robinson and Oscar Gustave Rejlander, Witkin creates elaborate scenes featuring cadavers, hermaphrodites, and dwarfs, blending literary, religious, and art historical references. Witkin’s work has been exhibited globally, including at MoMA in New York City, the Getty in Los Angeles, and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Witkin resides in Albuquerque, NM.