Bruce Gilden

Bruce Gilden is coming to Fotografiska Stockholm for his first ever solo exhibition in Sweden. In Why These? The street photography master from New York presents his favorite works from a long and impressive career as a photographer. “I’ve been photographing for almost 58 years, I know my work, and I think these are among the best photographs I’ve ever taken in my life,” he says.

Bruce Gilden is a legend in the world of street photography and has become known for his characteristic and raw portraits of people who, in one way or another, live on the fringes of society. On December 6, his first Swedish solo exhibition, Why These?, opens at Fotografiska Stockholm, presenting works from 1979 to the present. The show includes both well-known black and white images, and some of his most recent and striking portraits in digital color never displayed before.

keeps the individuals being portrayed close to his heart

We are thrilled to present with him this very special exhibition composed of his favorite works that the photographer handpicked specially for Fotografiska. “Bruce Gilden’s inimitable style gives us a unique insight into the creative process of one of our preeminent street photographers,” says Jessica Jarl, Global Director of Exhibitions at Fotografiska.

A Magnum photographer since 1998, Bruce Gilden has walked the streets of countless large cities. His photographs often taken with flash are characterized by their real and raw nature, and he always keeps the individuals being portrayed close to his heart.

"A good street picture will smell of the street"

With his uncompromising style, he has gained access to places and people that others might never approach and where his subjects often show great trust in allowing him to photograph them. From New York to Tokyo and Mexico City, he has photographed gang members, homeless, sex workers, and other individuals who, in different ways, are socially marginalized. Bruce Gilden’s instinctive ability to enter these otherwise closed worlds is linked to his upbringing in the old Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg. The people in his photographs are individuals who, just like him, have “experienced the streets.”

“My father was a gangster type wearing fedoras, suits and a pinky ring and driving a Cadillac, so I relate to tough, physical guys. And I'm a little bit physical myself, though less so these days. Since I started photographing I adopted Robert Capa’s mantra “If the photo is not good enough you were not close enough”.My talent is getting in close and making the viewer part of the scene. And the closer I get, the more dynamic the pictures. A good street picture will smell of the street”, says Bruce Gilden.

The exhibition Why These? will run at Fotografiska Stockholm from December 6, 2024 to April 6, 2025.