Starting July 5th, LUMA Arles will inaugurate new exhibitions as part of the "Arles Associé" program of the Rencontres d'Arles 2025. Known for showcasing artists who question and reinvent our realities, the venue will notably celebrate the legacy of photographer David Armstrong. A highly anticipated exhibition, and for good reason!
David Armstrong, an essential photographer
Born in 1954 in the United States, David Armstrong began studying painting at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston before turning to photography. Alongside Nan Goldin, Mark Morrisroe, Tabboo!, and Jack Pierson, he formed an avant-garde artistic scene that would soon be dubbed "The Boston School." The aesthetic of this group of photographers is characterized by its attraction to the theme of intimacy, to portraiture, and to the use of saturated colors. Bringing together artists with diverse perspectives, the "Boston School" captivates with the disarming frankness of all these photographic styles, capable of capturing the beauty and sexual charge of their subjects. An ode to freedom that is particularly evident in the poignant photographs of David Armstrong!
David Armstrong, Millie at Home, New York City, 1979
The eye of an aesthete capable of revealing the beauty in everyone
David Armstrong's unwavering love of beauty is embodied in his iconic black and white portraits. From the early 1980s, the Massachusetts-born photographer captured the faces of his friends, lovers, painters, actors, writers, musicians, and even strangers in the East Village. Bathed in an intimate, ordinarily elusive light, his subjects pose with relaxed ease. And perhaps this is where the artist's mastery lies: in his ability to reveal a sincere authenticity, a raw truth. Offering a glimpse into a bygone era, that of a vibrant New York where all dreams seemed possible, his work is a true historical document that portrays a magnetic, introspective, and rebellious youth. Far from simply depicting the people around him, David Armstrong freezes their posture in the face of life. In stark contrast to the standardized clichés currently flourishing on social media, the youth captured through her lens is striking in its frankness: here, there are no filters, no lies. Just seductive and free men and women!
David Armstrong, Sharon at Cookie's, New York City, 1977
An exhibition as a tribute
David Armstrong is no stranger to the small Provençal town of Arles. In 2009, the Rencontres de la Photographie festival introduced the photographer's world to the Arles public, under the curatorship of his friend Nan Goldin. Sixteen years later, his work returns to Arles for this new exhibition. More than just a portraitist, Armstrong captured the essence of an entire generation, crystallizing it in a series of images that are as intimate as they are striking. Having passed away in 2014, the artist leaves behind intense portraits, but also ethereal landscapes of great depth. Driven by a desire to translate the spirit of an era onto glossy paper, he made a habit of documenting the places he explored. Born in a time profoundly marked by the explosion of the AIDS epidemic, his candid panoramas remind us of the fleeting nature of existence. With this major exhibition, LUMA Arles once again celebrates the singular vision and melancholic aesthetic of David Armstrong. An emotional immersion into the world of one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century.e century!
“David Armstrong”
LUMA Arles
35, avenue Victor-Hugo, Arles
From July 5, 2025
David Armstrong, Stephen at Home, New York City, 1983
