Ray K. Metzker

Going against the grain of conventional street photography or humanist photography—both too traditional for his bold creative vision—Ray K. Metzker (1931–2014) uniquely appropriated urban space through its vertical and horizontal lines, with complete mastery of light. Long underrated, his work has previously only been featured in about a handful publications, all of which are now out of print. This new monograph, bringing together approximately 150 photographs, offers a fresh perspective on Metzker’s work as well as a (re)discovery of the American photographer, who developed an emotional affinity early on with the cities of Chicago and Philadelphia. His photography broke free from narrative aesthetic conventions, elevating monochrome photography to new heights.