The work of Philip-Lorca diCorcia (*1951) inhabits a space between documentary and fiction, combining real people and locations with elaborate cinematography. His meticulously executed photographs explore the tensions between candid and fated scenarios, often examining the reality of the so-called American Dream. He is perhaps best known for his iconic series Hustlers, in which he photographed male prostitutes of Los Angeles, using a government grant to pay his subjects, all against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis in the early 1990s. Since then he has redefined street photography with his series Streetwork (1993–97)—frozen moments on the sidewalks in cities around the world that capture haunting fragments of urban drama with the vibrant color and detail of Old Master paintings.
Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Major Tom, Kansas City, Kansas, $20 Kansas City, 1990/1992, Chromogenic Color Print, Haus der Photographie/Sammlung F.C. Gundlach, Hamburg © Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Courtesy of the artist, Sprüth Magers and David Zwirner
High Noon: Works from the F.C. Gundlach Collection
Group Exhibition
Deichtorhallen Hamburg
Through May 4, 2025
This exhibition features works by Nan Goldin, David Armstrong, Mark Morrisroe and Philip-Lorca diCorcia. Facing the political climate of the Reagan era of the 1980s, characterised by conservative values and neoliberalism, these photographers begin to capture New York's subculture in intense and often shockingly intimate images. Curated by Dr Sabine Schnakenberg, the show presents around 150 works from the F.C. Gundlach Collection.
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