In New York, the Howard Greenberg Gallery is dedicating an exhibition to Joel Meyerowitz for AIPAD 2026. Between unseen images and emblematic scenes, this presentation retraces the energy of the New York street of the 1960s and 1970s through the eyes of a pioneer of contemporary photography.
At a time when street photography seems absorbed by the continuous flow of digital images, Joel Meyerowitz's work offers a singularly poignant reminder of what it means to look. Presented by the Howard Greenberg Gallery as part of The Photography Show organized by AIPAD, this selection of images taken in 1960s and 1970s New York provides an immersion into a pivotal moment, both for the city and for the history of the medium.
What immediately strikes you is the sensation of movement. In Meyerowitz's work, the street is never static: it unfolds like an open stage, animated by a spontaneous choreography. Passersby become actors in a perpetually evolving composition, where gestures, glances, and visual coincidences construct a fragile equilibrium. Times Square (1962), Coney Island (1965), and the area around Madison Square Garden (1964) appear as fragments of a city in transformation, captured in its most immediate intensity.
The exhibition also highlights a collection of previously unseen images. Over the past few years, Meyerowitz has undertaken the digitization of thousands of negatives that had remained untapped until now, revealing photographs he had never considered. This return to his own archives offers a new interpretation of his work: it is no longer simply a matter of revisiting the past, but of reconsidering the act of seeing itself, in its selective, instinctive, and sometimes unfinished aspects.
Certain images particularly embody this ability to reveal the extraordinary within the ordinary. Two Women in Cadillac (1966) and Camel Coats (1975) demonstrate a keen attention to visual and narrative tensions. Meyerowitz does not document the city; he extracts moments from it where lines, colors, and human presences organize themselves into an almost involuntary form. Each image thus becomes a space for projection, open to interpretation.
The alternation between black and white and color is another central element of this presentation. At a time when artistic photography remained largely confined to black and white, Meyerowitz helped to establish color as a language in its own right. Far from being a mere aesthetic effect, here it contributes to a more immersive experience of reality, accentuating the visual and sensory density of the captured scenes.
The presence of a photograph documenting Carolee Schneemann's performance Meat Joy (1964) also highlights Meyerowitz's place within a vibrant artistic context. His work developed in contact with an experimental scene where the boundaries between disciplines blurred, and where photography became one tool among others for capturing the cultural shifts of his time.
Today, these images retain a particular resonance. They invite us to slow down, to observe, to patiently reconstruct what, at first glance, seems to be only a fragment of reality. In an age of visual overproduction, they remind us of photography's capacity to generate meaning from the most fleeting moment.
The presentation of the Infinity Award for Lifetime Achievement by the International Center of Photography (ICP) to Meyerowitz on April 28, 2026, underscores the importance of his influence. But beyond this institutional recognition, it is the enduring vitality of his vision that stands out. His work continues to question our way of seeing, of inhabiting urban space, and of shaping our experience of the world.
Practical information
Howard Greenberg Gallery presents Joel Meyerowitz
The Photography Show, AIPAD
Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Avenue, New York
From 22 to 26 April, 2026
Website:
Instagram:
@howardgreenberggallery
@aipadphoto
