Walker, Robert 1945-

views updated

WALKER, Robert 1945-

PERSONAL: Born June 8, 1945, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; married Ania Swietlik, 1985. Education: Sir George Williams University, B.A., 1969, studied photography at workshops conducted by Lee Friedlander, 1975, Gary Winogrand, 1980.

ADDRESSES: Home—1477 Rue Viau, Montreal, Quebec HIV 3G8, Canada.

CAREER: Independent photographer, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 1975-77, and New York, NY, 1977—. Galerie Optica, Camerart exhibition curator, 1974; International Center of Photography, Philippe Halsman '79 exhibition curator, 1979. Exhibitions: Works included in permanent collections at Musee d'Art Contemporain, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Canadian Museum of Photography, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; International Center of Photography, New York, NY; Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England; Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, France; Chiat/Day/Mojo Advertising, New York, NY, and Los Angeles, CA; Ivanhoe Corporation, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Individual exhibitions include Galerie Optica, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 1977; Eye Level Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1979; Canadian Cultural Centre, Brussels, Belgium, 1981; International Center of Photography, New York, NY, 1985; and Saidye Bronfman Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 1991.

AWARDS, HONORS: Arts grant, Canada Council, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1991; bursary, Ministere de la Culture, 1990.

WRITINGS:

(Editor) Camerart, (exhibition catalogue), [Montreal, Quebec, Canada], 1974.

(Editor, with Cornell Capa) Halsman '79 (exhibition catalogue), [New York, NY], 1979.

New York Inside Out, introduction by William Burroughs, [Toronto, Ontario, Canada], 1984.

Color Is Power, Thames & Hudson (New York, NY), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS: Photographer Robert Walker is known for his extraordinary use of color in his photographs. A Contemporary Photographers biographer noted, "Colour is fundamental and crucial to Walker's photography and everything else is subordinate to it: objects, situations, events, and even people." Walker has been influenced by the photography known as street photography, and by other photographers interested in the use of color, such as William Eggleston and Joel Meyerowitz.