Katy Grannan

Lot #27
Anonymous, Los Angeles, 2009 / Printed 2012
Pigment print
26 x 19.5 in.
Edition 2 of 3 (in this format)
Courtesy of the artist and Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco

About the Artwork

Katy Grannan’s collection Boulevard marked the beginning of an expansive series of “street portraits”—photographs that appear to be made without the subjects’ knowledge, but are, in fact, spontaneous collaborations between Grannan and strangers met on the streets of San Francisco and Hollywood (and later throughout the Central Valley). Grannan uses the ubiquitous white walls of city buildings and the glaring spotlight of the noonday sun as an impromptu, decontextualized backdrop that emphasizes each individual and defies any preconceived assumption of their “anonymity.” Grannan exhibited Boulevard at Fraenkel Gallery and Salon 94, New York; Los Angeles County Museum of Art mounted a comprehensive exhibition of the series in a two-person show; and it was the focus of a solo exhibition at Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam. In Grannan’s words, “Photography is a kind of permission; it’s a way in. It’s a catalyst for extraordinary experiences that would otherwise not be possible.”

Retail Value: $11,000